§1952. Courts created by special legislative Act
The following city courts, heretofore created and established by special legislative
Act, are hereby recognized and continued in existence and, except as otherwise provided in
this Section, their territorial jurisdiction shall extend through the city and ward or wards
wherein the city in which they are domiciled is located, as extended from time to time:
(1) The City Court of Abbeville, domiciled in the city of Abbeville, parish of
Vermilion, having one judge and a city marshal;
(2) The City Court of Alexandria, domiciled in the city of Alexandria, parish of
Rapides, having one judge and a city marshal;
(3) The City Court of Bastrop, domiciled in the city of Bastrop, parish of Morehouse,
having a city judge and a city marshal;
(4)(a) The City Court of Baton Rouge, domiciled in the city of Baton Rouge, parish
of East Baton Rouge, having five city judges and a city constable. The court shall be divided
into five divisions, namely, divisions "A", "B", "C", "D", and "E" and its territorial
jurisdiction shall extend throughout the territorial area of the city of Baton Rouge as
extended from time to time.
(b) For the purpose of electing judges, the court shall be divided into two election
sections.
(i) Election section one shall consist of the following precincts and parts of precincts
contained within the corporate limits of the city of Baton Rouge: 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6,
1-8, 1-10, 1-13, 1-14, 1-15, 1-16, 1-17 (part), 1-18, 1-19, 1-21, 1-22, 1-23 (part), 1-24, 1-25,
1-26, 1-27, 1-28, 1-29, 1-30, 1-31, 1-32, 1-36, 1-38, 1-45, 1-46, 1-50, 1-51, 1-58, 1-61, 1-62,
1-63, 1-67, 1-68, 1-77 (part), 1-78, 1-82, 1-84 (part), 1-85 (part), 1-86, 1-91, 1-92, 1-93, 1-94, 1-95 (part), 1-100 (part), 1-101 (part), 1-102 (part), 1-104, 2-1 (part), 2-9 (part), 2-11
(part), 2-22 (part), 2-24 (part), 2-25 (part), 3-5 (part), 3-20 (part), and 3-50 (part).
(ii) Election section two shall consist of the following precincts and parts of precincts
contained within the corporate limits of the city of Baton Rouge: 1-7, 1-9, 1-12, 1-33, 1-34,
1-35, 1-37, 1-39, 1-40, 1-41, 1-42, 1-43, 1-44, 1-47, 1-48, 1-49, 1-52, 1-53, 1-54, 1-55, 1-56,
1-57, 1-59, 1-60, 1-64, 1-65 (part), 1-66, 1-69, 1-70, 1-71, 1-72, 1-73, 1-74, 1-75, 1-80 (part),
1-81, 1-83, 1-87, 1-88 (part), 1-89 (part), 1-90, 1-97 (part), 1-98, 1-99 (part), 1-103, 1-105
(part), 1-107 (part), 3-7 (part), 3-8(part), 3-10 (part), 3-11 (part), 3-12 (part), 3-17 (part), 3-21
(part), 3-23 (part), 3-24 (part), 3-27 (part), 3-28 (part), 3-29 (part), 3-31 (part), 3-32 (part),
3-35 (part), 3-51 (part), 3-52 (part), and 3-55 (part).
(c) Two judges shall be elected by election section one, and two judges shall be
elected by election two, and one judge shall be elected from the entire territorial area of the
city of Baton Rouge at large.
(d) The metropolitan council for the city of Baton Rouge, parish of East Baton
Rouge, is hereby authorized to assign annexations which are approved subsequent to October
22, 2014, to the appropriate election section. After each such assignment, the metropolitan
council shall submit the assignment by certified mail or by hand delivery with receipt to the
Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on House
and Governmental Affairs for approval. Upon the receipt of the submission, the Senate
Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on House and
Governmental Affairs shall have forty-five days to determine, either jointly or separately,
whether the assignment shall be approved or disapproved. If the time period for action by
the committees has lapsed without any action by such committees, the assignment shall be
deemed approved. If one or both committees disapprove the assignment, such assignment
to the election section shall not be effective for any purpose.
(5) The City Court of Bogalusa, domiciled in the city of Bogalusa, parish of
Washington, having one city judge and a city constable;
(6) The City Court of Bossier City, domiciled in the city of Bossier City, parish of
Bossier, having one city judge and a city marshal. The provisions of this paragraph shall not
affect the jurisdiction of the mayor of the town of Benton over the violation of the municipal
ordinances of the town of Benton;
(7) The City Court of Bunkie, domiciled in the city of Bunkie, parish of Avoyelles,
having one city judge and a city marshal;
(8) The City Court of Crowley, domiciled in the city of Crowley, parish of Acadia,
having one city judge and a city marshal;
(9) The City Court of Eunice, domiciled in the city of Eunice, parish of St. Landry,
having a city judge and a city marshal. The territorial jurisdiction of this court shall extend
throughout the first, second, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth voting precincts of
Ward 6 of the parish of St. Landry, as presently constituted and defined, and that portion of
the city of Eunice situated within the parish of Acadia. The provisions of this Paragraph
shall not affect the jurisdiction of the justice of the peace for Ward 7 of the parish of Acadia.
(10) The City Court of Hammond, domiciled in the city of Hammond, parish of
Tangipahoa, having one city judge and a city marshal. Its territorial jurisdiction shall extend
throughout Ward 7 of the parish of Tangipahoa, within which the city of Hammond and the
town of Ponchatoula are contained. The court shall also hold sessions in the town of
Ponchatoula on such days and at such times as the judge may determine as best suited for all
concerned. The provisions of this paragraph, however, shall not affect the jurisdiction of the
mayor of the town of Ponchatoula over violations of the municipal ordinance of the town of
Ponchatoula.
(11) The City Court of Jennings, domiciled in the city of Jennings, parish of
Jefferson Davis, having one city judge and a city marshal;
(12)(a) The city court of Lafayette, domiciled in the city of Lafayette, having two city
judges and a city marshal; its territorial jurisdiction shall extend over all territory which is
now or hereafter included within the corporate limits of the city of Lafayette and throughout
the third and tenth wards of the parish of Lafayette. Whenever the corporate limits of the city
of Lafayette are hereafter extended into a justice of peace ward, that portion of any such
justice of the peace ward, not included within the city of Lafayette, shall remain under the
jurisdiction of the justice of the peace.
(b) The judges of the city court of Lafayette shall not practice law; however, the
judge presiding over Division A of the court may practice law until January 1, 1985.
(13) The City Court of Lake Charles, domiciled in the city of Lake Charles, parish
of Calcasieu, having two city judges and a city marshal;
(14) The City Court of Minden, domiciled in the city of Minden, parish of Webster,
having one city judge and a city marshal. The provisions of this Paragraph shall not affect
the jurisdiction of the mayor of the village of Lanesville over violations of the municipal
ordinances of the village of Lanesville. The territorial jurisdiction of the City Court of
Minden shall extend throughout Ward 1 of the parish of Webster, as presently constituted
and defined.
(15)(a) The City Court of Monroe, domiciled in the city of Monroe, parish of
Ouachita, having three city judges and a city marshal. Such city court judges may not
practice law. The court shall be divided into three divisions, which shall be designated as
divisions "A", "B", and "C".
(b) One judge, who shall preside over Division "A", shall be elected at large by the
qualified electors of the territorial jurisdiction; one judge, who shall preside over Division
"B", shall be elected by the qualified electors of an election district composed of Ward 10;
and one judge, who shall preside over Division "C", shall be elected by the qualified electors
of an election district composed of Ward 3. Candidates for election to Division "A", "B",
or "C" need not be residents of the election districts from which they seek election, but they
must be qualified electors of the territorial jurisdiction of the court.
(c) In civil matters, the territorial jurisdiction of the court shall extend over all
territory which is now or hereafter included within the corporate limits of the city of Monroe
and throughout the third and tenth wards of the parish of Ouachita.
(16) The City Court of Morgan City, domiciled in the city of Morgan City, parish of
St. Mary, having one city judge and a city marshal.
(17) The City Court of Natchitoches, domiciled in the city of Natchitoches, parish
of Natchitoches, having one city judge and a city marshal;
(18) The City Court of New Iberia, domiciled in the city of New Iberia, parish of
Iberia, having one city judge and a city marshal. The territorial jurisdiction of the court shall
extend over all territory within Iberia Parish which is now or hereafter included within the
corporate limits of the city of New Iberia. Wherever the corporate limits of the city of New
Iberia extend or hereafter extend into a justice of the peace ward, the city court shall have
jurisdiction within that portion of the justice of the peace ward included within said corporate
limits concurrent with that of the justice of the peace in those cases in which the said justice
of the peace would have jurisdiction, and that portion of the justice of the peace ward not
included within the said corporate limits shall remain under the jurisdiction of the justice of
the peace.
(19) The City Court of Rayne, domiciled in the city of Rayne, parish of Acadia,
having one city judge and a city marshal;
(20) The municipal court of Ruston, domiciled in the town of Ruston, parish of
Lincoln, having one city judge and a city marshal. The jurisdiction of the municipal court
of Ruston shall extend throughout the parish of Lincoln; provided that this shall not affect
the jurisdiction of any existing mayor's court nor shall it affect in any manner the offices of
justice of the peace and constable in any ward of the parish.
(21)(a) The city court of Shreveport, domiciled in the city of Shreveport, parish of
Caddo, having four city judges and a city marshal. The court shall be divided into four
divisions, which shall be designated as divisions "A", "B", "C", and "D".
(b) Effective January 1, 1998, judges shall be elected to the City Court of Shreveport
from areas as provided in this Subparagraph. Two judges shall be elected by the qualified
electors from election district 1 composed of those portions of Bossier Parish designated as
those parts of Precinct 4-8C lying within the corporate limits of the city of Shreveport and
those portions of Caddo Parish designated as those parts of Precincts 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 47, 48, 49, 56, 61, 62, 63, 69, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77,
78, 79, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127,
128, 129, 133, and that portion of Precinct 51 composed of 1990 Census Block No. 243
which is bounded on the South by the Industrial Loop Expressway, on the East by Ellerbe
Road, on the West by the Kansas City Southern Railroad Track, and on the North by an
abandoned road running east to west which is approximately one hundred sixty feet south
of Rollins Road lying within the corporate limits of the city of Shreveport; and two judges
shall be elected by the qualified electors from election district 2 composed of those portions
of Bossier Parish designated as those parts of Precincts 2-6 and 2-23 lying within the
corporate limits of the city of Shreveport and those portions of Caddo Parish designated as
those parts of Precincts 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 75,
80, 81, 82, 86, 130, 131, 137, 140, and Precinct 51 except for that portion of Precinct 51
composed of 1990 Census Block No. 243 which is bounded on the South by the Industrial
Loop Expressway, on the East by Ellerbe Road, on the West by the Kansas City Southern
Railroad Track, and on the North by an abandoned road running east to west which is
approximately one hundred sixty feet south of Rollins Road lying within the corporate limits
of the city of Shreveport or within the boundaries of the fourth ward.
(c) The territorial jurisdiction of the court shall extend over all territory within Caddo
Parish which is now or hereafter included within the corporate limits of the city of
Shreveport and throughout the fourth ward of Caddo Parish. In addition to all other
jurisdiction vested in the court, it shall have criminal jurisdiction, as conferred by Article VII,
Section 51 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1921 and Article XIV, Section 16(A)(5) of the
Constitution of Louisiana of 1974, of all those portions of Bossier Parish now or hereafter
included within the corporate limits of the city of Shreveport. Wherever the corporate limits
of the city of Shreveport extend or hereafter extend into a justice of the peace ward, the city
court shall have jurisdiction within that portion of the justice of the peace ward included
within the corporate limits concurrent with that of the justice of the peace in those cases in
which the justice of the peace would have jurisdiction, and that portion of the justice of the
peace ward not included within the corporate limits shall remain under the jurisdiction of the
justice of the peace.
(22) The City Court of Springhill, domiciled in the city of Springhill, parish of
Webster, having one city judge and a city marshal. The court shall hold sessions in the town
of Cotton Valley at least once a week, but nothing contained in this Paragraph shall affect
or interfere with the jurisdiction of the mayor of the town of Cotton Valley over the violation
of the municipal ordinances of the town of Cotton Valley. The territorial jurisdiction of the
City Court of Springhill shall extend throughout Ward 2 of the parish of Webster, as
presently constituted and defined.
(23) The City Court of Sulphur, domiciled in the city of Sulphur, parish of Calcasieu,
having one city judge and a city marshal. The provisions of this paragraph shall not affect
the jurisdiction of the mayor of the town of Westlake over the violations of the municipal
ordinances of the town of Westlake;
(24) The City Court of West Monroe, domiciled in the city of West Monroe, parish
of Ouachita, having one city judge and a city marshal. In civil matters, the territorial
jurisdiction of the court shall also extend to those wards in Ouachita Parish which are
contiguous to Ward 5 and in which no justice of the peace has been elected and qualified or
in which the duly elected and qualified justice of the peace is absent from the ward or is
otherwise unable to serve.