Outgoing Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has been indicted by a special grand jury in New Orleans in connection with a major jailbreak at the Orleans Parish jail last May.
Hutson faces 30 separate counts, including alleged malfeasance and obstruction of justice.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s office said the decision stems from an investigation into the jailbreak, which saw 10 men escape from the Orleans Parish Justice Center under Hutson’s leadership on May 15, 2025. All 10 were later reapprehended, the last being Derrick Groves, who received national attention for being on the run for nearly five months before his capture in Atlanta.
Since then, at the request of Gov. Jeff Landry, state auditors determined the OPSO did not routinely conduct jail inspections due to understaffing. The audit shows that during one week in May 2025, officials only documented 64% of the required inspections, and 30% of the required security checks. Auditors also found inspections for the area where the jailbreak occurred hadn’t been documented the day before the escape happened, or the first shift the day of.
The Attorney General’s office said in a press release that though Hutson “did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees,” her negligence still “directly contributed to and enabled the escape.”
OPSO Chief Financial Officer Bianka Brown was also indicted on 20 felony counts.
Hutson and Brown will appear in court on Thursday, April 30. Michelle Woodfork, Hutson’s successor, will be sworn into office the following Monday, May 4.
