Louisiana Court Information

The courts you will find in the State of Louisiana are a bit different in other parts of the country. These courts have been organized under the model of civil law and the procedures are significantly different as well.

It is true that a court in one state in the country may not follow the decision made by another state’s court, meaning that two states can take opposing positions for the same type of case and its situations. The legal system of common law makes it a custom for the court to take a look at the decisions made elsewhere as a persuasive statement. It also needs to be mentioned here that while most regulations followed by the legal system is the same across the country, there can be some differences. This is true for Louisiana.

The legal system in the U.S. is divided into two broad groups and this is the federal courts and the state courts. In Louisiana, the state court hierarchy is as follows:

•    The Supreme Court (this is the highest court in the state)
•    The Circuit Courts (there are 5 circuits in the state)
•    The District Courts (these are present in 40 districts)

At the apex of the legal pyramid in Louisiana is the Supreme Court, which is located at 400 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. Article V, Section 24 of Louisiana’s constitution provides particular directives regarding the appointment of judges in the various courts of the state.

After the Supreme Court, the next rung in the judicial hierarchy is for the Appellate Courts, or the Circuit Courts. These courts have the right to review and change the rulings of lower courts. At the lowest levels are the District Courts.

So this is how a case passes through the Louisiana Court system. The District Courts are the trial courts, and a case is initially heard here. If the party is not happy with the court’s decision, then an appeal can be made to the Appellate Court or the Circuit Court. From here it can move on to the Supreme Court. There are however some exceptions to this.

Supreme Court

Based in New Orleans, the Supreme Court of the state has 7 justices. Its website is http://www.lasc.org.

The Supreme Court of Louisiana has the original jurisdiction on matters of discipline of the bench and also the bar pursuant to the state constitution according to Article V, section 5 (B). This is the court that also has exclusive appeal jurisdiction on a case in which an ordinance or state law has been determined to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has the authority to make rules that need to be followed by all other lower level courts in Louisiana.

Circuit Courts

Circuit Courts are the appellate courts in the intermediate level of jurisdiction. In the state there are 5 circuits, and in each circuit there are 3 districts. These courts have jurisdiction for appeals on all civil issues, appeals that come from juvenile and family courts, and criminal cases to be tried by jury.

The 5 Circuit Courts in the state and their websites are as follows:

First Appellate Circuit Court - http://www.la-fcca.org
Second Appellate Circuit Court - http://www.lacoa2.org
Third Appellate Circuit Court - http://www.la3circuit.org
Fourth Appellate Circuit Court - http://www.la4th.org
Fifth Appellate Circuit Court - http://www.fifthcircuit.org

District Courts

The District Courts hear cases that concern political or civil rights, succession and probate issues, and matters related to a person's right for public positions and running for office. These courts also deal with property issues, except when it is community property, which is the case in divorce matters. In all divorce matters, the hearing happens in the Family Court.

You can also avail of the services of the state’s Parish Courts and the Juvenile Courts (i.e., the courthouses that handle criminal offenses that are committed by minors).