Outcry as New Orleans judge further delays retired priest’s rape case

Calls rise for Benedict Willard to be punished after recusing himself from Lawrence Hecker case on morning of trial

Court watchdogs and advocates for victims of sexual abuse are calling for a New Orleans judge to be punished and voted out of office after he controversially delayed the trial of retired Catholic priest charged with child rape and kidnapping - on the morning of jury selection.

Judge Benedict Willard's critics say his angry outbursts have been a problem over more than two decades on the bench. But they are raising fresh concerns after Willard's decision to remove members of the local district attorney's office during a rape trial in August reverberated to affect the eagerly anticipated trial of Lawrence Hecker, 93, on Tuesday.