On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, WWL reported that Judge Benedict Willard’s decisions in two rape cases had aroused anger from victims’ advocates and prosecutors. Judge Willard had served over 22 years on the New Orleans Criminal Court, but his critics argued that his controversial rulings and angry outbursts had become problematic.
In late August, during the rape trial of Freddie Sterling, Judge Willard was notified that a male juror had made inappropriate comments towards a female prosecutor from the DA’s Special Victims Unit. Rather than removing just the offending juror, Judge Willard ordered the prosecutor to leave the courtroom and called her a “distraction.” When the First Assistant District Attorney Ned McGowan asked for Willard’s reasons to be put on record, the judge had McGowan removed as well, calling him “disruptive and disrespectful.”
Just over a week later on September 5th, McGowan appeared again in Willard’s court for a pre-trial hearing in the high-profile case against former Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker, who was accused of child rape. However, when McGowan showed up for the start of Hecker’s trial on September 13th, Judge Willard resumed his anger towards the prosecutor, accusing him again of “disrespect” and abruptly transferred the case to a different court.
The judge’s actions drew criticism from the watchdog group Metropolitan Crime Commission, whose director Rafael Goyeneche believed Willard had anger issues and allowed emotions to interfere with his judicial responsibilities. The decision to keep the juror who harassed the DA employee also caused dissent, as it led to a hung jury in the Sterling trial.
Observers were further frustrated by Willard’s last-minute transfer of the Hecker case, which resulted in a ninth delay for the 93-year-old defendant. Hecker’s mental and physical health had declined significantly, with a psychiatrist deeming him only “fragilely competent” to stand trial. Assistant DA Andre Gaudin compared the impact of Willard’s ruling to Hecker’s own abuse of authority as a priest to victimize children.
One of Hecker’s alleged victims, Aaron Hebert, was angered by the added delay. He believed Willard should have recused himself weeks ago following his contempt of McGowan. The DA’s office had 11 prepared witnesses, including victims ready to testify against Hecker about abuses dating back to the 1960s.
Judge Willard declined to comment on the situation, citing restrictions. Critics called for his conduct to be reviewed by the Louisiana Judiciary Commission for possible violations of judicial conduct. They also wanted him challenged in the 2026 election but noted no opponent had run against Willard in his three prior reelection campaigns.
The Hecker case was transferred to Judge Nandi Campbell’s court, and prosecutors hoped for a speedy new trial date.
Source: WWL
