Katrina cripples New Orleans court system

MATT SEDENSKY AND RUSS BYNUM
SeattlePI.com

NEW ORLEANS -- In his third day back on the bench since Hurricane Katrina struck two months ago, Criminal District Judge Benedict Willard opens court by entering a plea of his own - for patience. "We're going to do as much as we can, with the limited resources," Willard says of this battered city's struggle to resuscitate a justice system crippled by the monster storm.

With the criminal courthouse still mired in muck, Willard presides at the old parish jail in a room once used for witnesses to identify criminal suspects in lineups. One-inch hash marks for measuring height dot the wall behind his small office desk. Attorneys sit in folding chairs.

Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Katrina_Crippled_Courts.html