On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Nola.com reported that Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Darryl Derbigny retired, effective August 1, after more than 20 years on the bench.
Derbigny submitted his resignation letter to the Louisiana Secretary of State, according to a notarized copy obtained by The Times-Picayune. The letter did not provide a reason for his departure.
Derbigny’s section, known as Section J, has faced significant criticism for having the slowest-moving docket in the courthouse, particularly for homicide cases. An analysis by The Times-Picayune found that homicide cases in his section take approximately twice as long to resolve compared to the court’s fastest section.
Over the past 18 months, Derbigny’s docket has drawn increasing scrutiny. In May, the Louisiana Supreme Court appointed retired Judge Calvin Johnson to oversee Section J after Derbigny temporarily stepped away, though no public explanation was provided.
A report by the Metropolitan Crime Commission ranked Derbigny last among the court’s 12 judges in three key efficiency metrics, highlighting ongoing issues with his docket management dating back to 2008.
Following a jail escape involving 10 defendants in May, state officials, including Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill, called for a review of the court’s slowest-moving cases.
In a written statement late Wednesday, Murrill’s office announced it would collaborate with Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams to assume prosecution of over 200 cases from Derbigny’s docket. As of mid-May, Murrill’s office was handling 546 cases in the criminal court.
Derbigny, first elected in 2002 and currently in his fourth term, was set to serve until December 2026.
Source: Nola.com
