Courts in Louisiana

More information on Louisiana's state courts:
Selection methods Elections Salaries Federal courts

In Louisiana, there are 3 federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

• Federal courts
• State supreme court
• State court of appeals
• Trial courts

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Louisiana's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Louisiana's state court system.

Judicial selection process

See also: Louisiana judicial elections and Judicial selection in Louisiana

Selection of the state court judges in Louisiana occurs through the partisan election of judges. Interim vacancies are temporarily filled by the supreme court. Within one year of a vacancy occurring, a special election called by the governor is held. Louisiana Supreme Court and Circuit Courts of Appeal judges are elected to 10-year terms. District court judges are elected to six-year terms. Judge qualifications and chief justice selection methods vary.

To read more about judicial elections in Louisiana, click here.

Federal courts

The federal district courts in Louisiana are the:

• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
• United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Appeals from these districts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Active judges

Eastern District

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Jay Zainey	George W. Bush (R)	February 14, 2002 -	University of New Orleans, 1972	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1975
Nannette Jolivette Brown	Barack Obama (D)	October 4, 2011 -	University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1985	Tulane Law School, 1988
Jane Triche-Milazzo	Barack Obama (D)	October 12, 2011 -	Nicholls State University, 1977	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1992
Susie Morgan	Barack Obama (D)	March 30, 2012 -	University of Louisiana, Monroe, 1974	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1980
Barry W. Ashe	Donald Trump (R)	August 30, 2018 -	Tulane University, 1978	Tulane University Law School, 1984
Wendy Vitter	Donald Trump (R)	May 29, 2019 -	Sam Houston State University, 1982	Tulane University Law School, 1986
Greg Guidry	Donald Trump (R)	June 21, 2019 -	Louisiana State University, 1982	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1985
Darrel Papillion	Joe Biden (D)	June 1, 2023 -	Louisiana State University, 1990	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1994
Brandon Long	Joe Biden (D)	December 19, 2023 -	University of Texas, 1999	Duke University School of Law, 2005

Below is a display of the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democratic appointed: 5
• Republican appointed: 4

Middle District

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Brian Jackson	Barack Obama (D)	June 15, 2010 -	Xavier University, 1982	Southern University Law, 1985
Shelly Deckert Dick	Barack Obama (D)	May 10, 2013 -	University of Texas, 1981	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1988
John W. deGravelles	Barack Obama (D)	July 23, 2014 -	Louisiana State University, 1971	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1974

Below is a display of the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democratic appointed: 3
• Republican appointed: 0

Western District

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Maurice Hicks	George W. Bush (R)	May 21, 2003 -	Texas Christian University, 1974	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1977
Terry A. Doughty	Donald Trump (R)	March 7, 2018 -	Louisiana Tech University, 1981	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1984
Robert Summerhays	Donald Trump (R)	September 19, 2018 -	University of Texas, Austin, 1989	University of Texas, Austin, 1994
James D. Cain, Jr.	Donald Trump (R)	June 25, 2019 -	McNeese State University, 1990	Southern University Law Center, 1993
David C. Joseph	Donald Trump (R)	July 31, 2020 -	University of Oklahoma, 2000	Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 2003
Jerry Edwards Jr.	Joe Biden (D)	December 22, 2023 -	Georgia State University, 2002	Vermont Law School, 2005

Below is a display of the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democratic appointed: 1
• Republican appointed: 5

Judicial selection

Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.

Bankruptcy courts

There are three federal bankruptcy courts in Louisiana. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Louisiana are:

• United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Louisiana
• United States bankruptcy court, Middle District of Louisiana
• United States bankruptcy court, Western District of Louisiana

State supreme court

See also: Louisiana Supreme Court

Louisiana Supreme Court
Court Information
Justices: 7
Founded: 1813
Location: New Orleans
Salary
Associates: $194,427
Judicial Selection
Method: Partisan election
Term: 10 years
Active justices
Cade Cole, William J. Crain, Piper Griffin, John Guidry, Jefferson Hughes, Jay B. McCallum, John L. Weimer

Founded in 1813, the Louisiana Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is John L. Weimer.

As of March 2025, there were three Republican, two Democratic, and one Independent judges on the court.

The Louisiana Supreme Court meets in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The supreme court has jurisdiction to review judgments by the court of appeals in both civil and criminal cases. Jurisdiction for appeal in all criminal cases, except death penalty cases, is given to the court of appeals, based on the Louisiana Jurisdiction in Criminal Cases Amendment (1980). The jurisdiction of the supreme court in civil cases extends to both law and facts, while in criminal cases jurisdiction extends to questions of law.

The supreme court has jurisdiction in cases where a law or ordinance has been declared unconstitutional. The court also has exclusive jurisdiction in cases involving the discipline of judges.

The chief justice is the chief administrative officer of the judicial system and the supreme court has supervisory powers over all lower courts, as well as administrative, and procedural rule-making powers. The court also has supervisory responsibility for acceptance of attorneys into the bar and for judicial misconduct, where recommendations for actions are sent to the court by the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana.

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office	Appointed by
Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District	William J. Crain	Republican	December 11, 2019
Louisiana Supreme Court 2nd District	John Guidry	Democratic	January 1, 2025
Louisiana Supreme Court 3rd District	Cade Cole	Republican	March 10, 2025
Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District	Jay B. McCallum	Republican	November 13, 2020
Louisiana Supreme Court 5th District	Jefferson Hughes	Republican	February 1, 2013
Louisiana Supreme Court 6th District	John L. Weimer	Independent	2001
Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District	Piper Griffin	Democratic	January 1, 2021

State court of appeals

See also: Louisiana Court of Appeals

Jurisdiction of the current courts

Established in 1879, the Louisiana Court of Appeals are the intermediate appellate courts in Louisiana. There are five such courts and 53 judgeships. The term of an appellate court judge is 10 years. The judge with the most seniority on each court of appeal shall serve as the chief judge of that court.

The Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction of all civil matters including review of workers' compensation determinations by administrative agencies, all matters appealed from family and juvenile courts, and all criminal cases eligible for trial by jury except capital offenses. The courts have appellate jurisdiction for civil cases originating in city and parish courts. The courts have supervisory jurisdiction over cases originating from within their relevant circuit.

Each of the five circuits is divided into at least three districts. Each court of appeal sits in panels of at least three judges.

First Circuit Court of Appeal

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

Second Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
James M. Stephens	January 1, 2018 - Present
Daniel Ellender	January 1, 2023 - Present
Marcus Hunter	May 5, 2021 - Present
Craig Marcotte	April 25, 2022 - Present
Shonda Stone	2016 - Present
Frances Pitman	2012 - Present
Jeff Thompson	April 29, 2019 - Present
Jeff Robinson	February 11, 2021 - Present
Jeff Cox	2016 - Present

Third Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Van H. Kyzar	2016 - Present
Elizabeth A. Pickett	1997 - Present
Shannon J. Gremillion	2008 - Present
Sharon Wilson	January 1, 2021 - Present
H. Guy Bradberry	January 1, 2023 - Present
Clayton Davis	January 1, 2025 - Present
Wilbur Stiles	January 1, 2023 - Present
Jonathan Perry	January 1, 2019 - Present
Charlie Fitzgerald	January 1, 2021 - Present
Gary J. Ortego	March 7, 2022 - Present
Ledricka Johnson Thierry	January 1, 2023 - Present
Candyce Perret	2017 - Present

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Joy Cossich Lobrano	2010 - Present
Rose Ledet	2010 - Present
Tiffany Gautier Chase	January 1, 2018 - Present
Paula Brown	January 1, 2018 - Present
Nakisha Ervin-Knott	January 1, 2023 - Present
Rachael Johnson	January 1, 2023 - Present
Sandra Cabrina Jenkins	2012 - Present
Dale Atkins	2018 - Present
Monique Morial	January 1, 2025 - Present
Daniel L. Dysart	2010 - Present
Roland L. Belsome	2004 - Present
Karen K. Herman	January 1, 2023 - Present

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Marc E. Johnson	2009 - Present
Fredericka Homberg Wicker	2006 - Present
John J. Molaison Jr.	January 1, 2019 - Present
Stephen J. Windhorst	2012 - Present
Susan M. Chehardy	1998 - Present
Scott Schlegel	January 1, 2024 - Present
Jude G. Gravois	2009 - Present
Timothy Marcel	January 1, 2024 - Present

Trial courts

District courts

See also: Louisiana District Courts

Louisiana District Courts

In Louisiana, there are 43 district courts. The district courts have general jurisdiction and the authority to adjudicate all civil and criminal cases except for cases otherwise assigned by the state constitution or in review of workers' compensation determinations by administrative agencies.

The court holds original jurisdiction over the following types of cases:

• The appointment of receivers or liquidators for corporations or partnerships
• Cases involving immovable property titles, except for divorce or annulment cases in family court related to community property partitions or matrimonial regimes claims;
• Civil or political rights;
• Felony cases;
• Probate and succession cases
• The right to hold office or other public position;
• The state, a political corporation, or political subdivisions;
• A succession (as a defendant);

The court has appellate jurisdiction over civil cases from a justice of the peace court if the justice of the peace court is in a parish where there is no parish court. The court may also conduct appellate review in certain criminal cases originating from lower courts.

The number of district court judges in any judicial district may be changed by a law or a two-thirds vote of the state legislature. The term of a district court judge is six years.

Juvenile courts

See also: Louisiana Juvenile Courts

There are four juvenile courts in Louisiana, located in Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, and Orleans Parishes. These courts have exclusive jurisdiction over delinquency cases involving individuals under the age of 17 years old, except for certain felony offenses. These courts also handle adoption proceedings for individuals under the age of 17.

Family courts

See also: Louisiana Family Courts

There is one Family Court in Louisiana. It is located in the East Baton Rouge Parish. It has specialized jurisdiction over all family matters, or cases involving divorce, child custody, and delinquency proceedings.

Parish courts

See also: Louisiana Parish Courts

There are three parish courts in Louisiana. These courts have jurisdiction over civil cases worth up to $20,000, and in criminal cases punishable by fines of $1,000 or less, imprisonment of six months or less, or both. Parties can appeal cases from the parish courts to the state courts of appeal.

City courts

See also: Louisiana City Courts

There are 50 Louisiana City Courts, including a court in the City of New Orleans, the First and Second City Courts, a municipal court, and a traffic court. City Courts exercise concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases where the disputed amount does not exceed $50,000. In criminal cases, these courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor offenses and city ordinance violations. The courts also handle traffic cases.

Mayor's court

See also: Louisiana Mayor's Courts

The Mayor's Courts are local courts in Louisiana that grant the mayor some judicial powers. There are approximately 250 mayor's courts in the state.

Under Louisiana law, the mayor's court is established with the following authority:

“

The mayor may try all breaches of the ordinances and impose fines or imprisonment, or both, provided for the infraction thereof. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the mayor may also impose court costs not to exceed thirty dollars for each offense, as defined by ordinance, on any defendant convicted of a violation of a municipal ordinance.

”

Also, the mayor is authorized with the power of a committing magistrate.

Justice of the peace courts

See also: Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts

Justice of the peace courts are not courts of record but exercise civil jurisdiction along with the district courts in cases where the disputed amount does not exceed $5,000. Justices of the peace have criminal jurisdiction as committing magistrates, authorized to issue bail or discharge orders in cases that are not punishable by death or hard labor. Justices may issue bond orders to keep the peace.

Traffic courts

See also: Louisiana Traffic Courts

Traffic Courts and Traffic Violations Bureaus administer hearings for traffic violations in the state of Louisiana. Some of the courts are under the supervision of a city court.

In other states

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See also

• Judicial selection in Louisiana
• Louisiana judicial elections

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Louisiana Judicial Branch

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