HLS 23RS-402 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 218
BY REPRESENTATIVE MARCELLE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
COURTS: Provides with respect to the selection of the chief judge for the City Court of
Baton Rouge
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1878(A), relative to city courts; to provide relative to local
3 rules of court; to provide relative to determining the chief judge of a city court; and
4 to provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:1878(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1878. Declaration of candidates for office; determination of chief judge
8 A.(1) Where a city court is composed of more than two divisions, a
9 candidate for nomination and election to the office of judge of the city court, at the
10 time of filing his declaration as a candidate, shall designate the division of the court
11 for which he is a candidate. The judge oldest in point of continuous service shall be
12 the chief judge, except that when they have served continuously the same length of
13 time, the judge oldest in years shall be the chief judge.
14 (2) The provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall supersede any
15 local rules of court establishing procedures for the determination of the chief or
16 administrative judge of a city court.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 23RS-402 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 218
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)]
HB 218 Original 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
Abstract: Provides relative to the selection of the chief judge or administrative judge for
city courts.
Present law requires that where a city court is composed of two or more divisions, a
candidate for nomination and election to the court, at the time of filing his declaration as a
candidate, shall designate the division of the court for which he is a candidate. Provides that
the judge oldest in point of continuous service shall be the presiding judge, except that when
they have served continuously the same length of time, the judge oldest in years shall be the
presiding judge.
Proposed law retains present law and provides that the laws of this state relative to
determining the chief judge of city courts shall supersede local rules of court selecting a
chief judge or administrative judge for a city court.
(Amends R.S. 13:1878(A))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.