Jason Williams (politician)

Williams was born and spent his adolescence in New Orleans.[1] He graduated from Woodward Academy, in College Park, Georgia, and attended Tulane University on a football scholarship, where he was elected class president 4 times. Additionally, he attended Tulane Law School, where he was elected class president 2 times. Shortly after graduating from Tulane Law School, Williams started his own law firm, Jason Rogers Williams & Associates, which he continues to manage. Williams has 3 children.[2]

In 2003 he was appointed Pro Tempore at Criminal District Court, by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Williams (far right) during a New Orleans City Council meeting in August 2018.

He served as the At-large Division 2 member of the New Orleans City Council from his swearing in on March 15, 2014[3][4] till his resignation on January 11, 2021 to assume his position as district attorney. The seat would remain vacant until January 28, 2021 when Donna Glapion was chosen to fill his seat.[5][6]

In 2018, Williams announced he would be a candidate in the 2020 Orleans Parish district attorney election.[7] Williams campaigned on massive reforms to the district attorney's office, which has been plagued with allegations of prosecutorial overreach. His campaign has was characterized as progressive and part of a movement of progressive reforms in district attorney positions around the United States.[8] His policies are in stark contrast to those of his predecessor, Leon Cannizzaro, who held a more traditional "tough on crime" approach as district attorney. Williams would go on to defeat his opponent Keva Landrum on the December 5th election and assumed office January 11, 2021.[9][10][11]

Williams is a member of the Democratic Party.

In June 2020, during his campaign for district attorney, Williams was charged with 11 counts of federal tax fraud.[12] Williams claims that he is innocent.[12] His trial has been set by U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman for January 2022.[13]