Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal

Jurisdiction of the current courts

The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal is one of the five circuit courts of appeal in Louisiana. It handles appeals in criminal court cases.

The First Circuit Court of Appeal consists of 12 sitting judges and has jurisdiction over 16 parishes in the southeastern part of the state. It covers the parishes of: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

The court meets at 1600 North Third Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Published opinions of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal can be found here.

 

Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal
Court information
Judges:	12
Founded:	1879
Salary:	Associates: $182,007
Judicial selection
Method:	Partisan election of judges
Term:	10 years

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Mitch Theriot	December 8, 2012 - Present
Walter I. Lanier III	January 1, 2019 - Present
Steve Miller	January 1, 2023 - Present
Tess Percy Stromberg	December 27, 2023 - Present
Page McClendon	October 5, 2002 - Present
Allison H. Penzato	2017 - Present
Elizabeth Wolfe	2020 - Present
Blair Downing Edwards	January 1, 2025 - Present
Christopher Hester	January 1, 2021 - Present
Hunter Greene	January 1, 2023 - Present
Wilson Fields	March 19, 2025 - Present
Kelly Balfour	January 1, 2025 - Present

Salary

See also: Louisiana court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $182,007, according to the National Center for State Courts.

Districts

District 1

The parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Mary, Terrebonne and West Baton Rouge shall compose the first district of the First Circuit.

The first district is further divided into two election sections.

Election section one is composed of Ascension Parish, Assumption Parish, Iberville Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish.

Election section two is composed of Lafourche Parish, St. Mary Parish and Terrebonne Parish.

District 2

District 2 consists of the parish of East Baton Rouge.

District 3

District 3 consists of the parishes of East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington and West Feliciana.

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Louisiana

The 53 justices on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal are elected in partisan elections. Justices serve 10-year terms and must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving on the court.

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must be:

• licensed to practice law in the state for at least ten years;
• a resident of the district representing for at least one year;
• under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)

Chief justice

The chief justice is the justice on the court with the most seniority. When he or she retires, the justice with the next most seniority becomes chief justice.

Vacancies

Per Article V of the Louisiana Constitution, midterm vacancies are to be temporarily filled by the supreme court. Within one year of the opening, a special election (called by the governor, preferably on the date of a preexisting gubernatorial or congressional election) is to be held. If the supreme court has appointed a successor, that appointee may not run for the seat in the special election. The justice elected at the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

For details about Louisiana's judicial elections, visit the Louisiana judicial elections page.

• 2030
• 2028
• 2025
• 2024
• 2022
• 2020
• 2018

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2030

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Subdist. 1, Division A

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Subdist 2, Division D

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2028

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2025

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

The general election scheduled for May 3, 2025, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for March 29, 2025, was canceled. Wilson Fields (D) won election in the special primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District without appearing on the ballot.

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 7, 2024, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Tess Percy Stromberg (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

General election

The general election scheduled for April 27, 2024, was canceled. Tess Percy Stromberg (R) won election in the special general election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District without appearing on the ballot.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for March 23, 2024, was canceled.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 7, 2024, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Kelly Balfour (R) won election outright against Eboni Johnson-Rose (D) in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kelly Balfour (R)	57.3	89,812
	Submit photo	Eboni Johnson-Rose (D)	42.7	66,893

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 156,705
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 7, 2024, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Allison H. Penzato (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 7, 2024, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 5, 2024, was canceled. Blair Downing Edwards (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District without appearing on the ballot.

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 10, 2022, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Mitch Theriot (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 10, 2022, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

Steve Miller (R) won election outright against Tanner Magee (R) in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Steve Miller (R)	61.5	84,299
		Tanner Magee (R)	38.5	52,727

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 137,026
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

General election

General election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Hunter Greene (R) defeated Donald Johnson (D) in the general election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on December 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hunter Greene (R)	54.4	30,269
	Submit photo	Donald Johnson (D)	45.6	25,376

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,645
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Donald Johnson (D) and Hunter Greene (R) defeated Beau Higginbotham (R) in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Donald Johnson (D)	42.7	51,129
✔		Hunter Greene (R)	33.3	39,936
		Beau Higginbotham (R)	24.0	28,753

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 119,818
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 10, 2022, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Page McClendon (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 10, 2022, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Elizabeth Wolfe (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District without appearing on the ballot.

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

General election

The general election scheduled for December 5, 2020, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for November 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent John Guidry (D) won election in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

General election

General election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Christopher Hester (R) defeated Melanie Newkome Jones (D) in the general election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on December 5, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Christopher Hester (R)	52.5	51,643
		Melanie Newkome Jones (D)	47.5	46,752

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 98,395
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Melanie Newkome Jones (D) and Christopher Hester (R) defeated Johanna Landreneau (R) in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melanie Newkome Jones (D)	46.0	77,349
✔	Submit photo	Christopher Hester (R)	35.5	59,679
		Johanna Landreneau (R)	18.5	31,126

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 168,154
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Toni M. Higginbotham (R)

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

General election

General election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

Elizabeth Wolfe (R) defeated Richard A. Swartz Jr. (R) in the general election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District on July 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Elizabeth Wolfe (R)	55.3	40,786
	Submit photo	Richard A. Swartz Jr. (R)	44.7	32,978

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,764
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

The general election scheduled for December 8, 2018, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District

Walter I. Lanier III (R) won election outright against Ellen Doskey (Independent) in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 1st District on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Walter I. Lanier III (R)	68.9	50,401
	Submit photo	Ellen Doskey (Independent)	31.1	22,700

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,101
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Previous election results

2017

Main article: Louisiana judicial elections, 2017

Third District, Division C

Judge Ernest Drake retired in 2016. Allison H. Penzato (R) was the only candidate to file for election to the open seat. She was declared elected, unopposed, at the time of filing in January 2017.

2014

Unopposed	Guy Holdridge (District 1 Division C)

Unopposed	Judge Jewel Welch (Subdistrict 1 Division C)

Unopposed	Wayne Chutz (District 3 Division A)

Unopposed	Judge Ernest Drake (District 3 Division C)

2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Place	Primary Vote	Election Vote
Carter IIIGideon T. Carter III	No	Democratic		31.09%A	38.5%   A
ErnyJ. Christopher Erny	No	Republican	1st Dist, Div. B	19.56%
McDonaldJ. Michael McDonald   A	No	Republican	2nd Dist, Div. B	48.76%A	61.5%   A
PlaisanceMark Plaisance	No	Republican	1st Dist, Div. B	8.26%
TheriotMitch Theriot   A	No	Republican	1st District	33.66%A	53.1%   A
McClendonPage McClendon	No	Republican	3rd Dist, Div. B	100%A
WhiteTrudy White	No		2nd Dist, Div. B	20.15%
Guidry-WhippleVanessa Guidry-Whipple	Yes	Republican	1st Dist	100%A
DupontWilliam Dupont	No	Democratic	Division D	38.51%A	46.9%   A
CrainWilliam J. Crain	No	Republican	3rd Dist, Div D	100%A

2010

District 2

Division A

The election on 10/2/2010 drew two candidates. Judge Higginbotham won.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division A Primary, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Toni Manning Higginbotham	55.2%	30,432
	Republican	"Tim" Kelley	44.8%	24,743
Total Votes				55,175

Division D

The election on October 2, 2010 drew two candidates. Judge Guidry won the election.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 2nd District, Subdistrict 2,Division D Primary, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Wilson Fields	41.3%	4,315
	Democratic	John Michael Guidry	58.7%	6,132
Total Votes				10,447

2008

District 1

Division A

There was only one candidate for election to the First Circuit, 1st District, Division A on October 4, 2008. Judge John Pettigrew was the only candidate to qualify for the race and thus won without an election.

2004

District 1

Division C

On September 19, 2004, Judge Parro was the only candidate to qualify for the 1st District, Division C seat. As such, he won without an election.

District 2

Division C

On September 18, 2004, Judge Welch was the only candidate to qualify for the 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division C seat. As such, he won without an election.

District 3

Division A

On September 18, 2004, Judge James E. "Jimmy" Kuhn was the only candidate to qualify for the 3st District, Division A seat. As such, he won without an election.

Division C

The election on September 18, 2004 drew two candidates. Judge Hughes won the election.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 3rd District, Division C Primary, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brady M. Fitzsimmons	48.6%	39,670
	Republican	Jefferson Davis Hughes	51.4%	41,926
Total Votes				81,596

2002

District 1

Division B

On October 5, 2002, an election was held to fill the remainder of the term for the First Circuit, 1st District, Division B seat until December 21, 2002. Judge Edward J. "Jimmy" Gaidry was the only candidate to qualify for the race and thus won without an election.

On the same date, October 5, 2002, an election was also held to fill seat for the upcoming 10-year term. Judge Edward J. "Jimmy" Gaidry was also the only candidate to qualify for this race and thus won without an election.

Division D

On October 5, 2002, Judge Guidry-Whipple was the only candidate to qualify for the 1st District, Division D seat. As such, she won without an election.

District 2

Division B

On October 4, 2002, Judge McDonald was the only candidate to qualify for the 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division B seat. As such, he won without an election.

District 3

2002

Division B

The election on October 5, 2002 drew two candidates. Judge McClendon won the election.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 3rd District, Division B Primary, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kenneth J. Fogg	43.8%	40,889
	Republican	Page McClendon	56.2%	52,417
Total Votes				93,306

Division D

The election on October 5, 2002, drew two candidates. Judge Carter won the election.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 3rd District, Division D Primary, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Burrell J. Carter	43.8%	40,889
	Republican	Jeffrey A. "Jeff" Jones	56.2%	52,417
Total Votes				93,306

2001

District 1

Division B

Judge Weimer served in this capacity until elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court on November 17, 2001. Judge Watkins was appointed to fill the position until an election could be held.

2000

District 2

Division A

The election on 10/7/2000 drew two candidates. Judge Downing won.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division A Primary, 2000
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Wilson Fields	41.3%	4,315
	Democratic	John Michael Guidry	58.7%	6,132
Total Votes				10,447

Division D

On October 7, 2000, Judge Guidry was the only candidate to qualify for the 2nd District, Subdistrict 2, Division D seat. As such, he won without an election.

1998

District 1

Division A

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division A Primary, 1998
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jack T. Marionneaux	49.1%	32,221
	Democratic	John T. Pettigrew	50.9%	33,426
Total Votes				65,647

Division B

There were four candidates to fill the First Circuit, 1st District, Division B seat in the election of April 4, 1998. This race resulted in a run off between Watkins and Weimer.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division B Primary, 1998
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Bernard F. Levy	13.4%	4,113
	Democratic	Mitchell Theriot	22.7%	6,946
	Democratic	Louis Watkins	27.4%	8,383
	Democratic	John L. Weimer	36.5%	11,168
Total Votes				30,610

The runoff election was held on May 2, 1998. John L. Weimer was elected to the First Circuit court of appeals in May 2 1998.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division B General election, 1998
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Louis Watkins	33.3%	7,863
	Democratic	John L. Weimer	66.7%	15,757
Total Votes				23,620

1994

District 1

Division C

On October 1, 1994, Judge Parro was the only candidate to qualify for the 1st District, Division C seat. As such, he won without an election.

District 2

Division C

On October 1, 1994, Judge Foil was the only candidate to qualify for the 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division C seat. As such, he won without an election.

1993

District 1

Division C

The special election on April 3, 1993 to fill the unexpired term of 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division C Judge Walter I. Lanier Jr. after he retired in November 1993 drew two candidates.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division C Primary, 1993
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Anthony "Tony" Lewis	33.2%	15,411
	Democratic	Randolph H. "Randy" Parro	66.8%	31,042
Total Votes				46,453

1992

District 2

Division B

On October 3, 1992, Judge "Doug" Gonzales was the only candidate to qualify for the 2nd District, Subdistrict 1, Division B seat. As such, he won without an election.

Division E

On October 3, 1992, Judge Freddie "Fred" Pitcher Jr. was the only candidate to qualify for the 1st District, Division E seat. As such, he won without an election.

District 3

Division B

The election on October 3, 1992 drew two candidates. Judge Fogg won the election.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 3rd District, Division B Primary, 1992
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kenneth J. Fogg	60.1%	35,626
	Republican	Leslie Levet-Waldo	39.9%	23,690
Total Votes				59,316

1990

District 1

Division D

The election on October 6, 1990 drew two candidates - Guidry-Whipple and Savoie. Judge Guidry-Whipple won.

Judge, Court of Appeal -- 1st Circuit, 1st District, Division D Primary, 1990
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Vanessa Guidry-Whipple	53.9%	69,469
	Democratic	Felix H. Savoie Jr.	46.1%	59,324
Total Votes				128,793

1988

District 1

There was only one candidate for election to the First Circuit, 1st District, Division A on October 1, 1988. Judge Morris Lottinger, Jr. was the only candidate to qualify for the race and thus won without an election. Judge Lottinger retired in July of 1988. The balance of his term was apparently filled by Judge Remy Chaisson.

Ethics

The Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Louisiana. It consists of seven canons:

• Canon 1: A judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary
• Canon 2: A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities
• Canon 3: A judge shall perform the duties of office impartially and diligently
• Canon 4: Quasi-Judicial Activities: A judge may engage in quasi-judicial activities to improve the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice
• Canon 5: Extra-Judicial Activities: A judge shall regulate extra-judicial activities to minimize the risk of conflict with judicial duties
• Canon 6: A judge may accept reasonable compensation and expenses for quasi-judicial and extra-judicial activities; a judge may not accept gifts, loans, bequests, benefits, favors or other things of value except under restricted circumstances; a judge must report compensation, gifts, loans, bequests, benefits, favors and other things in some circumstances
• Canon 7: A judge or judicial candidate shall refrain from inappropriate political and campaign activity

The full text of the Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Louisiana may be removed in one of two ways:

• By the Louisiana Supreme Court after recommendation from the Louisiana Judiciary Commission
• By a two-thirds vote of the Louisiana State Senate upon impeachment by the Louisiana House of Representatives

History

Louisiana's intermediate appellate courts were created by the 1879 Louisiana Constitution.

Noteworthy cases

Opinions of the First Circuit Court of Appeals can be accessed here.

• Court upholds jury verdict in police brutality case (2015)

Click for summary→

In 2007, a noise complaint came in to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Officer Nathan Davis was dispatched. He found Brian Townsend at the address where loud music was playing. Townsend was intoxicated and, according to Davis, was noncompliant and had an attitude. Davis tackled Townsend to the ground when he resisted arrest, subsequently injuring Townsend. The tackle was so rough that Townsend allegedly defecated on himself. When he reached the hospital, Townsend was found to have a torn bladder. Townsend sued, claiming that Davis acted pursuant to his job, during the course and scope of his duties. The East Baton Rouge Parish, however, argued that Davis' actions were not part of his training and, therefore, he was acting outside the scope of his duties in forcibly arresting Townsend as he did. A jury sided with the parish, but did find that Davis used excessive force. The jury awarded Townsend $239,000 in actual damages. He did not receive punitive damages for any pain and suffering. District Judge Todd Hernandez, however, overturned the portion of the jury verdict finding that Davis acted outside the scope of his job. It is that ruling that the parish appealed. The Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal reviewed the case. It issued an opinion in April 2015, finding that the evidence supported overturning the jury finding and the award of damages. Judge Page McClendon wrote for the three-judge panel. She said a reasonable jury had no other option but to find that Davis acted during the course and scope of his duties; he was responding to a complaint in his official capacity. “ The record shows that the nature of the offense was nothing more serious than a noise complaint, a citation-only offense, with no requirement that Townsend be taken into custody. While Townsend may have had an ‘attitude’ and failed to comply with the officers’ requests, there was no evidence...to suggest a heightened sense of caution in the reason, manner, and execution of the arrest. ” —Judge Page McClendon The First Circuit also agreed with the jury not awarding punitive damages as there was no proof Davis acted with malice, recklessness or indifference. Davis was fired by the police department and served time on a civil rights violation conviction in this case. Articles: The Advocate, "Appellate court lets stand jury award in alleged police brutality case against former Baton Rouge police officer," April 21, 2015 Justia.com, "Townsend v. Davis and City of Baton Rouge," April 15, 2015

Docket

The docket for the First Circuit court of appeals can be found at this link: Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, "Docket".

State profile

Demographic data for Louisiana
	Louisiana	U.S.
Total population:	4,668,960	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	43,204	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	62.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	32.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.6%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	1.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	83.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	22.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$45,047	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	23.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Louisiana

Louisiana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Louisiana coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Louisiana
• United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
• Public policy in Louisiana
• Endorsers in Louisiana
• Louisiana fact checks
• More...

See also

Louisiana	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Louisiana Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal Louisiana Supreme Court	Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Louisiana	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Louisiana Court of Appeal First Circuit

Footnotes

Louisiana courts

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Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana

State courts:

Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts

State resources:

Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana