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Louisiana.gov - Government > Government > JudicialWorkshopServices | Government | Business | Explore Agencies | FAQs | Contact Us   Home ExecutiveWorkshopLegislativeWorkshopJudicialWorkshopDepartments Agency Directory Boards and Commissions For State Employees Questions? Ask Louise Birth Certificates Census and Demographics E-Mail Notifications Employment File State Taxes Hunting/Fishing License LEO: LA Employees Online State Government Directory State Park Reservations Travel Info & Traffic Cameras Unclaimed Property > increasingly ... Branches Departments Agency Index Boards & Commissions Legal Resources Constitution Louisiana Laws (Revised Statutes)LegalisticCode Law Library of Louisiana JudicialWorkshopIn this section: Judges | SupremeMagistrate| Courts ofRequest| District Courts | DistrictTribunal| Clerks ofMagistrate| Justices of the Peace & Constables | Sheriffs | Jurors, Grand Jury, Coroner This web page should not be considered a legal document, but rather a vital introduction into Louisiana's judicial workshop of state government.  For increasingly in-depth information, please view the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974 or visit the LA SupremeMagistratewebsite. The judicial branch's power is vested in a Supreme Court, courts of appeal, district courts, and other courts including family courts, parish courts, and justice of the peace courts. The judicial workshop is responsible for overseeing the laws of the state and resolving legal conflicts. It includes the magistrate system, comprising of Family and Juvenile Courts, the Clerk of Court, District Courts, District Attorneys, the Sheriff's office, coroners,SpinCourts, Courts of Appeal, and the Louisiana Supreme Court.   “A judge of the Supreme Court, a magistrate of appeal, district court, family court, parish court, or magistrate having solely juvenile jurisdiction shall have been admitted to the practice of law in the state for at least five years prior to his election, and shall have been domiciled in the respective district, circuit, or parish for the two years preceding election.  He shall not practice law.” - Louisiana Constitution, Article V, Section 24 Judges Powers of Judges A judge may, among other magistrate orders, issue writs of habeas corpus (the power to undeniability any prisoner surpassing the magistrate to test the legality of his detention). Exercise of validity by a judge of the SupremeMagistrateor of a magistrate of request is subject to review by the whole court. The power of judges to punish for contempt of magistrate is limited by law. Qualifications for Judges A judge of the Supreme Court, a magistrate of appeal, district court, family court, parish court, or magistrate having solely juvenile jurisdiction should have established legal residence in the respective district, circuit, or parish for one year preceding election.  A judge should moreover have practiced law in the state for at least the number of years specified as follows: · For the SupremeMagistrateor a magistrate of appeals - ten years. · For a district court, family court, parish court, or magistrate having solely juvenile jurisdiction - eight years. · A judge cannot practice law while serving in office. Judges:Referendumand Vacancy All judges are elected. Elections are performed at times of a regular congressional election. A newly-created judgeship or a vacancy in the office of a judge is filled by special referendum tabbed by the governor.  Until the vacancy is filled, the supreme magistrate names temporary appointees.  Temporary magistrate appointees are not eligible for the subsequent referendum to fill the post.   SupremeMagistrateSupremeMagistrateDistricts The SupremeMagistrateis well-balanced of a senior justice and six socialize justices, four of whom must stipulate in order to render a judgment. SupremeMagistratejudges serve ten-year terms. SupremeMagistrateDistricts The state is divided into seven SupremeMagistratedistricts, and at least one judge is elected from each (these are unshared from the state's District Courts, for which there are currently 40). The districts and the number of judges prescribed to each are subject to transpiration by law enacted by two-thirds of each house of the legislature. Supreme Court's Jurisdiction; Rule-Making Power; Assignment of Judges The SupremeMagistratehas unstipulated supervisory jurisdiction over all other courts. The SupremeMagistratehas sole validity to sublease tribunal as temporary or ad hoc judges of city, municipal, traffic, parish, juvenile, or family courts. Original Jurisdiction. The SupremeMagistrateconducts disciplinary proceedings versus members of the state bar association. The jurisdiction of the SupremeMagistratein starchy cases re-considers both the law and the facts when hearing appeals. In criminal matters, its jurisdiction extends only to questions of the proper interpretation of laws. Besides the reasons listed above, a specimen may be appealed to the SupremeMagistrateif (a) a law under which a person was convicted has been supposed unconstitutional or (b) the defendant has been convicted of a wanted offense and a death penalty has been imposed. Supreme Court:SeniorJustice The judge oldest in point of service on the SupremeMagistrateis named the state's senior justice. He is the senior legalistic officer of the judicial system of the state.   Courts ofRequestCourts ofRequestFirst CircuitMagistrateofRequestSecond CircuitMagistrateofRequestThird CircuitMagistrateofRequestFourth CircuitMagistrateofRequestFifth CircuitMagistrateofRequestCourts ofRequestCircuits Courts of Appeal: Circuits; Panels; Judgments; Terms The state currently has five spin courts, with one magistrate of request in each. Each magistrate has panels of at least three judges. The judge with the longest term of service is named senior judge. A majority of the judges sitting in a specimen must concur to render judgment. The term of a magistrate of request judge is ten years. Courts of Appeal: Circuits and Districts Each spin is divided into at least three districts, and at least one judge is elected from each. The circuits and districts and the number of judges as elected in each spin are subject to transpiration by law enacted by two-thirds of each house of the legislature. Courts of Appeal: Jurisdiction With exceptions, a defendant has a right of request or review of his specimen if he does not stipulate with a spin court's ruling. A magistrate of request has  jurisdiction of (1) all starchy matters, and, (2) all matters appealed from family and juvenile courts, (3) most criminal cases that are triable by a jury. A magistrate of request moreover has the jurisdiction to review and supervise cases which are heard within its spin courts. Courts of request often do not hear new facts upon request of criminal cases, only questions of the lawfulness of a ruling.  They are worldly-wise to consider new facts, as well as questions of law, in starchy cases. Courts of Appeal: Certification A magistrate of request may refer any question of law surpassing it to the Supreme Court, and the SupremeMagistratethen may requite its tightness instruction or decide the specimen wholly.   District Courts District Courts Judicial Districts District Courts: Judicial Districts The state is currently divided into 40 judicial districts, each well-balanced of at least one parish and served by at least one district judge. Each district elects a senior judge. District Courts: Terms The district, family, juvenile, parish, city, and magistrate courts have jurisdictions and numbers that are willowy by a 2/3 majority vote of the legislature.  As of 2007, the legislature may establish new judgeships for district courts as well. The term of a district, parish, or municipality magistrate judge is six years. District Courts: Jurisdiction A district magistrate has original jurisdiction of all starchy and criminal matters.  It is the sectional original jurisdiction of felony cases and of most cases involving property.  These types of cases are not ruled over by district courts:  the right to run for office or other public position; starchy or political right; and most issues of probate and succession. Additionally in exception, a family magistrate may have jurisdiction of cases involving property when those cases relate to disputes over polity property like the settlement of claims welling from divorce or splitsville of a marriage. Juvenile and Family Courts Criminal cases versus those younger than age seventeen are referred to juvenile courts. However the legislature may provide laws for exceptions to this rule for serious cases such as murder, rape, kidnapping, drug dealing, and armed robbery. JudiciaryLegationOn recommendation of the judiciary commission, the SupremeMagistratemay willpower or remove judges from office. Other JudicialWorkshoporganizations are:  Mayors' Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts, Parish Courts,MunicipalityCourts, Magistrate Courts DistrictTribunalIn each judicial district a district shyster serves a six-year-term. A district shyster must practice law for five years prior to his election.  The district tribunal prosecute criminal cases within their districts, and are legal advisors to the grand jury.  District tribunal may not be involved in the defense of any criminal cases. Clerks ofMagistrateClerks of magistrate are elected to four year terms. They are responsible for keeping records of all legal proceedings. Clerks of magistrate supervise notarizations, mortgages, and other legal processes not requiring trial surpassing a court. As well the Clerk of Court's office processes legal documentation preceding and pursuit trial.  Justices of the Peace & Constables Justices of the Peace are elected to serve six year terms as the judicial validity of a ward or district, can perform marriage ceremonies have jurisdiction in starchy matters when the value in dispute does not exceed $5,000 and do not have jurisdiction when a title to real manor is involved, when the state or any political subdivision is a defendant, or in successions or probate matters. Constables are elected to serve six year terms and siphon out the orders of the Justice of the Peace Court, serve citations ordered by the justice of the peace courts and act as the enforcement officer of evictions and garnishments ordered by the JP court. The Office of the AttorneyUnstipulatedmaintains an online directory of Justices of the Peace and Constables by name, title, parish and region. Sheriffs In each parish a sheriff is elected to four-year-terms. He is the senior law enforcement officer in the parish, as well as tax collector, with the exception of Orleans Parish. Jurors A resider of the state who has reached the age of 18 is eligible to serve as a juror within the parish in which he lives. Persons who are seventy years of age or older are exempt from jury service and may ripen to serve as jurors if they wish. Grand Jury There are one or increasingly grand juries in each parish.  They decide whether there is unbearable vestige for a person to be brought to trial (indictment). Coroners The state's coroners are members of the judicial branch.  In each parish a coroner is elected for a term of four years.  Coroners must often be licensed doctors.   Home Policies Site Map Contact Us Email the Webmaster