BATON ROUGE — One day after the Metro Council approved Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ plan to give Baton Rouge Police a historic pay raise, District Attorney Hillar Moore filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the city-parish to fund his office at a level he says is required by the state constitution.
In the suit, Moore says funding for 2026 “will soon be exhausted,” which he argues will result in “irreparable harm to the safety and welfare of the people the District Attorney is elected to serve.”
“I have exhausted all other avenues to obtain necessary funding to fight crime and fulfill the duties I swore to fulfill when I took the oath of office,” Moore said in a news release after the suit was filed.
Moore told Edwards and members of the Metro Council he would have to file the lawsuit, also known as a petition for a writ of mandamus, because his office is losing staff to higher-paying jobs, leaving remaining employees overloaded and slowing the progress of cases through the court system.
A writ of mandamus is used to force elected officials to perform legally required duties.
Moore has emphasized he does not blame the current mayor or council for what he describes as a years-long failure to properly fund his office, which state law requires the parish government to do.
Moore requested $22.6 million to cover his office’s expenses in 2026. The city-parish budgeted just over $7.3 million, an amount the lawsuit calls “wholly insufficient” and one that makes it “virtually impossible for the District Attorney’s Office to function as constitutionally mandated.”
East Baton Rouge Parish voters rejected a proposed property tax in May 2025 that would have generated about $22 million annually for the district attorney’s office.
“I respect the people’s voice through their vote, so now I have no other choice but to seek tax dollars that are lawfully due to the Office of the District Attorney,” Moore said.
The Metro Council on Wednesday approved substantial pay raises for Baton Rouge Police, which will make officers among the highest paid in the state and will cost at least $12.5 million per year. Edwards said the funding comes from about $16 million in savings after the city-parish moved retirees to a new benefits program.
The inability to recruit officers at previous pay levels led to significant understaffing within the police department. Moore said his office is facing a similar issue.
“We have lost approximately 36 lawyers over 18 months to higher paying offices with much less stress,” he said.
Last month, the mayor and council approved $850,000 in additional funding for the district attorney’s office and $500,000 for the public defender’s office. Moore said the funding helped, but falls far short of what is needed.
“It basically allowed us to retain valued employees who were considering leaving due to lack of pay and high caseloads,” Moore said.
Moore said a shortage of prosecutors, like a shortage of police officers, creates a public safety risk.
“Without enough prosecutors, the criminal cases we charge are simply not able to move quickly through the courts. Cases stall. Criminals are out on bond and possibly commit other crimes,” he said. “It is not a situation our citizens should tolerate. Further, the additional funds will allow us to implement programs which prioritize prevention and diversion.”
More than 170 murder cases are currently pending in East Baton Rouge Parish, slowed in part by limited staffing in the district attorney’s office.
Moore also pointed to a similar case in the 1980s, when a Washington Parish district attorney successfully sued for additional funding, saying “the law is very clear on this issue.”
Edwards’ office did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment. The city-parish typically does not comment on ongoing litigation.
In March, Edwards said in an interview on UWK’s podcast Louisiana Unfiltered that he and Moore had discussed the possibility of a lawsuit “deeply,” adding that he would likely take the same step if he were in Moore’s position.
“If it’s a means, you know, to helping out, let’s do it. Put it out there and let us see, see where it goes,” Edwards said.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
