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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 1151
BY REPRESENTATIVE PONTI
REAPPORTIONMENT/JUDGES: Provides relative to the election of judges for the City
Court of Baton Rouge
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1952(4), relative to the City Court of Baton Rouge; to provide2
for the election of judges to the City Court of Baton Rouge; to remove provisions3
relative to use of election sections to elect judges of the court; and to provide for4
related matters.5
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:6
Section 1. R.S. 13:1952(4) 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
(4)(a) The City Court of Baton Rouge, domiciled in the city of Baton Rouge,15
parish of East Baton Rouge, having five city judges and a city constable. The court16
shall be divided into five divisions, namely, divisions "A", "B", "C", "D", and "E"17
and its territorial jurisdiction shall extend throughout the territorial area of the city18
of Baton Rouge as extended from time to time.19 HLS 14RS-2051 ENGROSSED
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(b) For the purpose of electing judges, the court shall be divided into two1
election sections. Election section one shall consist of precincts: 1-1A, 1-1B, 1-3A,2
1-3B, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-8, 1-11, 1-13A, 1-13B, 1-16, 1-17, 1-18, 1-19, 1-20, 1-21, 1-3
22, 1-23, 1-24, 1-25, 1-26, 1-27, 1-28, 1-29, 1-31A, 1-31B, 1-38A, 1-38B, 1-45, 1-4
46A, 1-46B, 1-46C, 1-46D, 1-50A, 1-50B, 1-51A, 1-51B, 1-58A, 1-58B, 1-61, 1-67,5
1-68, 1-84A, 1-84B, 1-85A, 1-85B, 1-86A, 1-86B, 1-91, 1-92A, 1-92B, 1-93, 1-94A,6
1-94B, 1-95A, 1-95B, 1-96A and 1-96B. Election section two shall consist of7
precincts: 1-7, 1-10, 1-14A, 1-14B, 1-15A, 1-15B, 1-30, 1-32, 1-33, 1-34A, 1-34B,8
1-35, 1-36A, 1-36B, 1-36C, 1-36D, 1-37, 1-39, 1-40, 1-41, 1-42, 1-43, 1-44, 1-48A,9
1-48B, 1-49A, 1-49B, 1-52A, 1-52B, 1-53A, 1-53B, 1-53C, 1-53D, 1-54A, 1-54B,10
1-55A, 1-55B, 1-56A, 1-56B, 1-57, 1-59, 1-60A, 1-60B, 1-62, 1-63, 1-64, 1-65, 1-11
69A, 1-69B, 1-71A, 1-71B, 1-71C, 1-71D, 1-72A, 1-72B, 1-72C, 1-73A, 1-73B, 1-12
74A, 1-74B, 1-74C, 1-75A, 1-75B, 1-75C, 1-75D, 1-76A, 1-76B, 1-76C, 1-76D, 1-13
78A, 1-78B, 1-79, 1-80, 1-81, 1-82A, 1-82B, 1-82C, 1-82D, 1-83A, 1-83B, 1-87, 1-14
88A, 1-88B, 1-89, 1-90, 1-97, 1-98A, 1-98B, 1-99A, 1-99B, and 1-99C.15
(c) Two judges shall be elected by election section one, and three judges16
shall be elected by election section two.17
(d) The metropolitan council for the city of Baton Rouge, parish of East18
Baton Rouge, is hereby authorized to assign annexations which are approved19
subsequent to June 15, 1993, the effective date of Act No. 609 of the 1993 Regular20
Session of the Legislature, to the appropriate election section. After each such21
assignment, the metropolitan council shall submit the assignment by certified mail22
or by hand delivery with receipt to the Senate Committee on Senate and23
Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on House and Governmental24
Affairs for approval. Upon the receipt of the submission, the Senate Committee on25
Senate and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on House and26
Governmental Affairs shall have forty-five days to determine, either jointly or27
separately, whether the assignment shall be approved or disapproved. If the time28
period for action by the committees has lapsed without any action by such29 HLS 14RS-2051 ENGROSSED
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committees, the assignment shall be deemed approved. If one or both committees1
disapprove the assignment, such assignment to the election section shall not be2
effective for any purpose.3
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Section 2. All elections to fill a judgeship of the City Court of Baton Rouge5
occurring after the effective date of this Act shall be held from the entire territorial area of6
the city of Baton Rouge as extended from time to time.7
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not8
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature9
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If10
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become11
effective on the day following such approval.12
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)]
Ponti HB No. 1151
Abstract: Provides that elections to fill judgeships for the City Court of Baton Rouge shall
be held from the entire territorial area of the city rather than from election sections.
Present law provides for the City Court of Baton Rouge, domiciled in Baton Rouge and
having five city judges and a city constable. Provides that the court is divided into five
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. Proposed law
retains present law.
Present law provides for the purpose of electing judges, the court is divided into two election
sections and that two judges (divisions "B" and "D") are elected in election section one and
three judges (divisions "A", "C", and "E") are elected in election section two. Present law
further allows the metropolitan council for the city of Baton Rouge, parish of East Baton
Rouge, to assign annexations which are approved subsequent to June 15, 1993, to the
appropriate election section. Requires the metropolitan council to submit such 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. Provides that the committees have 45 days to determine, either jointly or
separately, whether the assignment shall be approved or disapproved. Specifies that if the
time period for action by the committees lapses without action by such committees, the
assignment is deemed approved, and if one or both committees disapprove the assignment,
such assignment is not effective for any purpose.
Proposed law removes the provisions of present law dividing the court into election sections
and providing for the assignment of annexations and provides instead that elections to fill HLS 14RS-2051 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 1151
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judgeships for the City Court of Baton Rouge shall be held from the entire territorial area
of the city of Baton Rouge as extended from time to time.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 13:1952(4))