Jason Cantrell, New Orleans Attorney, Allegedly Drops Joint In Court, Promptly Resigns

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Jason Cantrell, New Orleans Attorney, Allegedly Drops Joint In Court, Promptly Resigns

A city prosecutor in New Orleans, La., was given a summons this week after a joint allegedly fell out of his pocket in court — while he was chatting with a police officer.

According to WDSU.com, assistant city attorney Jason Cantrellwas in Orleans Parish Magistrate on Monday when a marijuana cigarette fell out of his pocket and onto the floor. A police spokesman says Cantrell had been talking to an NOPD officer at the time.

The Times-Picayune writes:

Sources painted a comical picture of the incident, saying a pair of cops glanced at the joint on the ground, then at each other before making arguably the easiest collar in the annals of policework.
Officers were seen chuckling as their colleagues led Cantrell out of the courtroom about 4:15 p.m. to write him up.

Cantrell, 43, was reportedly “cited and let go under a city policy for low-level marijuana cases.” Police say Cantrell was a first-time offender.

But it seems that this case of the butterfingers has had far-reaching consequences for the hapless attorney.

TheNew York Daily Newsreports that Cantrell has resigned from his city postand his wife, who is currently running for New Orleans City Council, has been “forced to apologize for him.”

“I absolutely do not condone his actions,”LaToya Cantrell said, according to the newspaper. “I love my husband unconditionally and am very concerned for his health and well-being, and for that of our family. I hope that this incident will encourage Jason to seek the professional help.”

Cantrell has reportedly practiced law in New Orleans for 17 years and had beenworking a case in his capacity as a private defense attorneywhen the incident occurred.

According to the website Above The Law, a person familiar with the incident had some choice words for New Orleans’ city employees in theaftermath of Cantrell’s alleged mishap:

A tipster who reported the incident to Above The Law says he has “suspected that more than 50% of the city — and its employees, specifically — are, at any given time, either stoned, drunk, or on a three hour lunch.”