The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office will soon get a new leader, after interim District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson assumes her new office as a Criminal District Court judge.

State law requires the First Assistant District Attorney to take over the office on an interim basis, but the current First Assistant in Orleans Parish, Val Solino, doesn’t live in Orleans parish, and according to the La. Secretary of State, would face a residency challenge if he assumes the office.

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Landrum-Johnson’s office wouldn’t release any information on how she plans to handle the problem with Solino’s residency. But criminal justice reform groups said Landrum-Johnson will follow the same procedure that former District Attorney Eddie Jordan did when giving Landrum-Johnson the job: Appoint a new first assistant, then resign, essentially hand-picking his successor.

“It's not going to be a mandate for someone to come in and reform the office,” said Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche, “whoever is the interim district attorney is going to be a caretaker.”

State law requires Landrum-Johnson to take the oath of office for her seat of the Criminal Court within 30 days of receiving notification that the election results have been certified by the La. Secretary of State. She won the race before the election because her only challenger dropped out last week.

Sources told Eyewitness News that Landrum-Johnson could make a decision on a successor as early as this week.

New Orleans Crime Coalition Chairman Greg Rusovich said several people in the community have suggested possible candidates to her, but that the decision is hers to make.

“She's going to make a good choice and (we hope) that it will be one that is non-political with experience and capability and have a seamless transition for that small period of time before the new D.A. is elected,” Rusovich told Eyewitness News in a phone interview.

Unnamed sources also told Eyewitness News that Landrum-Johnson is leaning toward choosing someone from outside the office to lead it for the next four months.

“Should it be an external choice, clearly someone from the legal profession that has credibility and respect from a significant segment of the community is extremely important,” Rusovich said.

The four candidates running for Orleans Parish D.A. are Linda Bizzarro, Leon Cannizzaro, Ralph Capitelli and Jason Williams.

The primary election is October 6.