The Orleans Parish District Attorney invited a national panel of district attorneys to New Orleans to conduct a professional evaluation of his office, according to a spokesman.

The Metropolitan Crime Commission suggested to Eddie Jordan on Thursday that the National District Attorneys Association come to town for the evaluation, Dalton Savwoir, a spokesman for Jordan's office, said. Jordan agreed with the idea.

"The National District Attorneys Association is in an excellence position to conduct an objective evaluation of my office because it conducts evaluations nationwide," Jordan said. "My office embraces this action."

Savwoir also said that, effective immediately, the Violent Offenders Unit would handle prosecution of all homicide cases in the city.

The announcement came as at least three New Orleans city council members will ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to assign a special prosecutor to help the DA’s office following a flurry of controversy over a decision to drop charges against a suspect accused of killing five men.

Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge Morrell said that she and fellow council members Arnie Fielkow and Stacy Head have been discussing the best options for dealing with the apparent problems in the district attorney’s office. The issue came to a head when the office dropped charges in the quintuple murder case and the fallout has been swift.

Morrell said the three council members disagreed with fellow member Shelley Midura’s call for Jordan to resign, saying they did not think it was the best option, however, she did say that the office needs help.

“If we are not satisfied with the job he is doing, why don’t we go to the Supreme Court and ask them to set up a special prosecutor?” she asked. “We gave the DA increases in salary to prosecute cases like this and I’ve just been informed that they have not even been hired.”

Morrell said this wouldn’t be the first time the council has asked for help. She said they got assistance for former Clerk of Court Kimberly Williamson Butler.

Morrell added that she will ask Jordan to appear before the budget committee in two weeks. Fielkow’s office confirmed that the letter to the Supreme Court would be ready by Friday afternoon.