New Louisiana AG Wants to Prosecute Like a Private Practitioner
In his first 12 weeks on the job, the new Louisiana attorney general says he has been busy dealing with (and, in some cases, dismissing) a number of civil actions his predecessor filed at the end of his term and trying to depoliticize the office.
James “Buddy” Caldwell, 61 and a Democrat, says he hopes to restore the attorney general’s credibility and operate his 147-attorney office in much the same way as a private law practice, reports Legal Newsline. Elected by a substantial margin, winning more than 67 percent of the vote, the new AG says he now intends to think of the office as the state’s largest law firm and run it as such—fairly and efficiently.
“What I bring to Louisiana is a ‘you get to come talk’ (policy). You get to come to the table; you’re not just going to get hit with a lawsuit,” Caldwell says. “We’re interested in doing the right thing. If somebody messes up, they should clean up.”
