HLS 13RS-706 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE BILL NO. 553
BY REPRESENTATIVE FRANKLIN
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
REAPPORTIONMENT/JUDGES: Provides for election sections in the City Court of Lake
Charles
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1952(13), relative to the City Court of Lake Charles; to2
provide for election sections in the court; to provide for the assignment of judgeships3
for election purposes; to provide for the election of judges; and to provide for related4
matters.5
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:6
Section 1. R.S. 13:1952(13) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 7
ยง1952. Courts created by special legislative Act8
The following city courts, heretofore created and established by special9
legislative Act, are hereby recognized and continued in existence and, except as10
otherwise provided in this Section, their territorial jurisdiction shall extend through11
the city and ward or wards wherein the city in which they are domiciled is located,12
as extended from time to time:13
* * *14
(13)(a) The City Court of Lake Charles, domiciled in the city of Lake15
Charles, parish of Calcasieu, having two city judges and a city marshal ;.16
(b)(i) For the purpose of electing judges, the court shall be divided into two17
election sections. Election section one shall consist of Precincts 325, 326, 327, 330,18
331, 332N, 332S, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367N,19
367S, 368, 369, 370, 371N, and 371S of Calcasieu Parish. Election section two shall20 HLS 13RS-706 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 553
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are additions.
consist of the portion of Precinct 360 of Calcasieu Parish contained within Ward 31
of Calcasieu Parish and Precincts 300, 301, 302, 303E, 303W, 304, 305, 306, 307,2
308, 309E, 309W, 310, 311, 312, 313E, 313W, 314, 315E, 315W, 316E, 316W, 317,3
318, 319N, 319S, 320E, 320W, 321, 322, 323, 324, 328, 329, and 361 of Calcasieu4
Parish.5
(ii) One judge shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section6
one, and one judge shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section two.7
* * *8
Section 2.(A) The precincts for Calcasieu Parish referenced in this Act are those9
contained in the file named "2012 Precinct Shapefiles" published on the Louisiana House10
of Representatives website. The 2012 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon those Voting11
Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2010 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the12
State of Louisiana as those files have been modified by the staff of the Legislature of13
Louisiana to represent precinct changes submitted through August 8, 2012, to the Legislature14
of Louisiana by parish governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 18:532 and15
532.1.16
(B) When a precinct referenced in this Act has been subdivided by action of the17
parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish18
governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with the provisions of R.S.19
18:532.1, the enumeration in this Act of the general precinct designation shall include all20
nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof, however such subdivisions may be21
designated. The territorial limits of the election sections as provided in this Act shall22
continue in effect without change regardless of any changes made to the precincts by the23
parish governing authority.24
Section 3. The judgeship designated on the effective date of this Act as Division A25
of the City Court of Lake Charles is hereby assigned to election section two for election26
purposes. The judgeship designated on the effective date of this Act as Division B of the27
City Court of Lake Charles is hereby assigned to election section one for election purposes.28 HLS 13RS-706 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 553
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Franklin HB No. 553
Abstract: Provides geographic boundaries for election sections in the City Court of Lake
Charles and provides for the assignment of judgeships in those districts for election
purposes.
Statistical summaries of proposed law as well as maps illustrating proposed district
boundaries accompany this digest. (Attached to hard copies of the bill distributed
during session and available as a separate document on the Internet.)
Present law provides that the City Court of Lake Charles is domiciled in the city of Lake
Charles and that the territorial jurisdiction of the court extends through the city and ward or
wards wherein the city is located, as extended from time to time. Provides that the court has
two city judges and one city marshal. Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law creates two election sections in the City Court of Lake Charles. Provides that
one judge shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section one, and one judge
shall be elected by the qualified electors of election section two. Provides that the judgeship
designated on the effective date of proposed law as Division A of the City Court of Lake
Charles is assigned to election section two for election purposes. Provides that the judgeship
designated on the effective date of proposed law as Division B of the City Court of Lake
Charles is assigned to election section one for election purposes.
Proposed law provides that the precincts for Calcasieu Parish referenced in proposed law
are those contained in the file named "2012 Precinct Shapefiles" published on the La. House
of Representatives website. Provides that the 2012 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon those
Voting Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2010 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles
for the State of La. as those files have been modified by the staff of the Legislature of La.
to represent precinct changes submitted through Aug. 8, 2012, to the Legislature of La. by
parish governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of present law (R.S. 18:532 and
532.1).
Proposed law provides that when a precinct referenced in proposed law has been subdivided
by action of the parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action
of the parish governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with the provisions
of present law (R.S. 18:532.1), the enumeration in proposed law of the general precinct
designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof, however
such subdivisions may be designated. Provides that the territorial limits of the election
sections as provided in proposed law shall continue in effect without change regardless of
any changes made to the precincts by the parish governing authority.
Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2010 Census
Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Summary File for Louisiana. Population data,
statistical information, and maps are supplied for purposes of information and analysis and
comprise no part of proposed law.
(Amends R.S. 13:1952(13))