Jacques Morial is a New Orleans community organizer, political operative, and writer, and a son of the city’s first African American mayor, Ernest “Dutch” Morial. He is best known publicly for three things: a 2004 federal raid on his home that led to a misdemeanor tax conviction, a 2016 DWI arrest in Kenner that was later dropped and became the basis of a civil rights lawsuit, and years of local advocacy on coastal erosion, Confederate monuments, and the city’s drainage system.
Who His Family Is
Jacques Morial was born around 1960 or 1961, one of five children of Ernest N. “Dutch” Morial and Sybil Haydel Morial. His siblings are Julie, Marc, Cheri, and Monique.1Amistad Research Center. A Lifetime of Achievement: Sybil Morial Papers264 Parishes. Dutch Morial3Verite News. This Week in History: Ernest Dutch Morial Is Born His brother Marc Morial was mayor from 1994 to 2002 and later became president and CEO of the National Urban League. A 2004 Los Angeles Times profile described Jacques as a “political operative” and “longtime confidant” to Marc during his brother’s time in office.4Los Angeles Times. Jacques Morial Federal Investigation
The 2004 Federal Raid and Tax Conviction
On February 14, 2004, federal agents raided Jacques Morial’s French Quarter home. They arrived at 7:30 a.m. in flak jackets and armed, and when Morial did not answer the door for roughly 70 seconds, they used a battering ram to force entry. Agents spent eight hours searching for computer files and documents. The raid was led by the criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service.4Los Angeles Times. Jacques Morial Federal Investigation
The search was part of a broader federal investigation into what was described as “shady deals and cronyism” involving public contracts during Marc Morial’s administration. Investigators reportedly examined food and beverage concessions at Louis Armstrong International Airport and land lease negotiations connected to a casino. The subjects of that inquiry were business executives and attorneys with close ties to the former mayor.4Los Angeles Times. Jacques Morial Federal Investigation
What emerged publicly was narrower. In September 2006, Jacques Morial pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns for 2000, 2001, and 2002. He had paid about $26,000 in back taxes, though penalties and interest remained outstanding. Each count carried a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said the case was strictly “about Jacques Morial and about whether Jacques Morial filed income tax returns,” and declined to say whether the tax matter was tied to the broader City Hall probe. Marc Morial was never accused of wrongdoing.5The Oklahoman. Brother of Former NO Mayor Pleads Guilty
On January 9, 2008, U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced Morial to six months of home confinement and three years of probation, with the home confinement running concurrently with the first six months of probation. At sentencing, Morial said he hoped he had not brought shame to his family.6NOLA.com. Jacques Morial Avoids Jail in Income Tax Case
The 2016 Kenner DWI Arrest and Lawsuit
In April 2016, Morial, then 55, was stopped near Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner. Officer Andrew Shea charged him with driving while intoxicated, running a red light, and reckless operation of a vehicle. His Breathalyzer reading was .053, below the .08 legal limit. A field sobriety test was started but aborted because of Morial’s stated physical disabilities. He spent 11 hours in jail.7The Advocate. Jacques Morial Files Lawsuit Against Kenner Over Malicious DWI Arrest
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office dropped the DWI count in August 2016 when it filed the bill of information. In February 2017, Morial pleaded guilty to running a red light and reckless operation of a vehicle, and that conviction was set aside after he paid court fines and fees.7The Advocate. Jacques Morial Files Lawsuit Against Kenner Over Malicious DWI Arrest
In April 2017, Morial filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Kenner alleging the arrest was malicious and that Officer Shea had “knowingly, intentionally, maliciously and falsely manufactured the charge of DWI.” The suit pointed to the sub-legal Breathalyzer reading as evidence the DWI charge lacked a legitimate basis.7The Advocate. Jacques Morial Files Lawsuit Against Kenner Over Malicious DWI Arrest
His Advocacy and Writing
Outside the courtroom, Morial has been a regular voice in local policy fights. In October 2013, he appeared on Democracy Now! to support a Louisiana Levee Board lawsuit against BP, Exxon, Shell, and Chevron over coastal destruction, saying “the lawbreaking is ongoing.”8Democracy Now! Jacques Morial
He has also written for The Lens, a New Orleans outlet focused on government transparency. In May 2017, after the city removed several Confederate monuments, he argued the removals were “only scabs on a deeper wound” and that deeper racial and social healing was still needed. That August, after severe flooding exposed failures in the city’s drainage system, he published an essay calling for the abolition of the Sewerage & Water Board and for direct voter oversight of the agency.9The Lens. Jacques Morial – Author Page