A well-known criminal defense lawyer has been tapped by the White House to be the top federal prosecutor in the New Orleans area.
David Courcelle has been nominated for the job of U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
That includes 13 parishes in southeast Louisiana.
Courcelle has years of experience in the federal system, handling drug, gun and corruption cases.
He has never been a prosecutor.
He has recently represented clients involved in the federal staged wrecks case.
Courcelle is a graduate of De La Salle High School, University of New Orleans and Loyola College of Law.
He is also a former city attorney in Harahan and parish attorney in Jefferson Parish.
Courcelle will be tasked with taking over investigations into gangs, gun violence, and the mayor’s former bodyguard and city contractor.
Sources say Gov. Jeff Landry backed Courcelle for the position.
He will need Senate confirmation before taking over the post, and if he is confirmed, he will be the first Asian American to hold the post in the district.
There is no word on when he will head to Washington, D.C., to go before a Senate committee.
READ MORE:David Courcelle nominated to be U.S. Attorney for Eastern Dist. of Louisiana
