SMH! City Attorney’s Joint Falls Out of Pocket

After speaking with a police officer in New Orleans Parish Criminal District Court on a private case, Jason Cantrell (pictured), a New Orleans assistant city attorney, was issued a summons on Monday afternoon. Why? Because a rolled up marijuana joint mistakenly fell out of his pocket while he was speaking with the officer.

According to witnesses, one minute Cantrell was engaged in a conversation with an officer, and the next moment, the joint just seemed to fly out of his pocket and hit the floor. Another officer joined the engaged policeman, and they reportedly kept looking at each other and the joint on the ground as if they were part of a comedy skit.

The 43-year-old, who has no prior criminal record, was busted on the spot and ushered in to the courthouse for a summons.

When the joint incident occurred, Cantrell, who has worked as a civil and criminal attorney for 17 years, was not working as a city attorney; rather, both he and his wife, LaToya (pictured), were at the courthouse because she is running for a District seat on the City Council.

Ironically, just two years ago, the New Orleans City Council made the possession of marijuana a municipal offense, meaning if one were caught with marijuana, he or she would receive a summons as with Cantrell’s case.

LaToya, who publicly stated that she was “embarrassed” by her husband’s transgression, has opted to remain in the District race and issued a statement in an effort to do damage control, according to NBC News:

I am very angry, embarrassed, and disappointed to learn about my husband’s bad decision and lack of judgment today. I absolutely do not condone his actions. He has resigned his position with the City Attorney’s Office, and he will accept the legal consequences as the judicial process takes its course.

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 he needs and ask that the public respect our privacy in this very personal family matter.

Meanwhile, Cantrell was suspended from his city duties without pay pending an investigation.