Louisiana: DA Cannizzaro addresses risk tool score, $1.15 million bond of CVS robbery defendant

DA Cannizzaro addresses risk tool score, $1.15 million bond of CVS robbery defendant

“The absurdity of this defendant’s risk assessment speaks volumes about what is wrong with the criminal justice system in the City of New Orleans,” Cannizzaro said. “Here we have a violent offender who attempted to rob a business and two employees at gunpoint, opened fire upon three police officers who responded – striking and injuring one of them – and comes to our city from Indianapolis, which should establish a risk of flight.

“That such an individual should be scored at the minimum risk level and be recommended for unsupervised release by this tool and the people administering it demonstrates how skewed, faulty and utterly naïve these assessments can be.”

(Excerpt from statement of Orleans Parish District Attorney)

Richard Sansbury, the first of two men arrested for Monday’s armed robbery and shootout that left a New Orleans police officer wounded at an Uptown CVS drug store, made his first appearance in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court on Tuesday morning (June 18).

As part of his first appearance, the court’s Pretrial Services Program issued its PSA (Public Safety Assessment) of this defendant, and arrived at the minimum score of Risk Level 1, which bears a recommendation of unsupervised release without conditions. District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro issues the following response:

“The absurdity of this defendant’s risk assessment speaks volumes about what is wrong with the criminal justice system in the City of New Orleans,” Cannizzaro said. “Here we have a violent offender who attempted to rob a business and two employees at gunpoint, opened fire upon three police officers who responded – striking and injuring one of them – and comes to our city from Indianapolis, which should establish a risk of flight.

“That such an individual should be scored at the minimum risk level and be recommended for unsupervised release by this tool and the people administering it demonstrates how skewed, faulty and utterly naïve these assessments can be.”

Booked with armed robbery with a firearm, two counts of false imprisonment with a weapon, and three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, Stansbury had a bond of $1.15 million set by Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell.

“I commend Judge Cantrell for disregarding this tool and seeing this defendant for what he is: A dangerous, violent offender willing to shoot our police officers, who has no business freely walking our streets,” Cannizzaro said. “Some city and outside foundation officials have been frustrated by my refusal to embrace this risk assessment tool and its high-profile role in reducing jail population. But results such as this show this program’s complete disregard for the public safety needs of our community. A case such as this shows exactly why the skepticism of police and prosecutors is both warranted and deserved.”

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