SLS 24RS-801 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 399
BY SENATOR FIELDS
COURTS. Provides relative to the election sections for judgeship of the second district of
the First Circuit Court of Appeal. (2/3 - CA5s9) (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:312(1)(b) and 312.1(A), relative to the Court of Appeal for
3 the First Circuit; to provide for the organization of districts within the First Circuit;
4 to provide election sections for the second district of the First Circuit; to provide for
5 the assignment of judgeships for election purposes; to provide for the election of
6 judges; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 13:312(1)(b) and 312.1(A) are hereby amended and reenacted to read
9 as follows:
10 §312. Courts of appeal; circuits and districts
11 There shall be five court of appeal circuits, which shall be subdivided into
12 districts as follows:
13 1. * * *
14 (b) Districts of first circuit. (i) The parishes of Ascension, Assumption,
15 Iberville, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and West Baton Rouge
16 shall compose the first district of the first circuit. The first district shall be further
17 divided into two election sections.
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SLS 24RS-801 ORIGINAL
1 (aa) Election section one shall be composed of Ascension Parish,
2 Assumption Parish, Iberville Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish, and West Baton Rouge
3 Parish.
4 (bb) Election section two shall be composed of Lafourche Parish, St. Mary
5 Parish, and Terrebonne Parish.
6 (ii) The parish of East Baton Rouge shall compose the second district of the
7 first circuit. The second district shall be further divided into two election
8 sections.
9 (aa) Election section one shall be composed of Precincts 1-8, 1-12, 1-34,
10 1-35, 1-39, 1-40, 1-41, 1-42, 1-43, 1-47, 1-48, 1-49, 1-56, 1-59, 1-64, 1-65, 1-66,
11 1-69, 1-73, 1-74, 1-75, 1-76, 1-79, 1-80, 1-89, 1-97, 1-98, 1-99, 1-105, 1-107, 2-6,
12 2-7, 2-8, 2-33, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 3-7, 3-9, 3-10, 3-12, 3-13, 3-14, 3-15,
13 3-16, 3-17, 3-18, 3-19, 3-20, 3-21, 3-22, 3-23, 3-25, 3-26, 3-29, 3-30, 3-31, 3-32,
14 3-33, 3-34, 3-35, 3-36, 3-37, 3-38, 3-39, 3-40, 3-41, 3-43, 3-44, 3-45, 3-46, 3-47,
15 3-48, 3-49, 3-50, 3-51, 3-52, 3-53, 3-54, 3-55, 3-56, 3-57, 3-58, 3-59, 3-60, 3-61,
16 3-62, 3-63, 3-64, 3-65, 3-66, 3-67, 3-68, 3-69, 3-70, 3-71 and 3-72 of East Baton
17 Rouge Parish.
18 (bb) Election section two shall be composed of Precincts 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4,
19 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 1-9, 1-10, 1-11, 1-13, 1-14, 1-15, 1-16, 1-17, 1-18, 1-19, 1-20, 1-21,
20 1-22, 1-23, 1-24, 1-25, 1-26, 1-27, 1-28, 1-29, 1-30, 1-31, 1-32, 1-33, 1-36, 1-37,
21 1-38, 1-44, 1-45, 1-46, 1-50, 1-51, 1-52, 1-53, 1-54, 1-55, 1-57, 1-58, 1-60, 1-61,
22 1-62, 1-63, 1-67, 1-68, 1-70, 1-71, 1-72, 1-77, 1-78, 1-81, 1-82, 1-83, 1-84, 1-85,
23 1-86, 1-87, 1-88, 1-90, 1-91, 1-92, 1-93, 1-94, 1-95, 1-100, 1-101, 1-102, 1-103,
24 1-104, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-9, 2-10, 2-11, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14, 2-15, 2-16, 2-17,
25 2-18, 2-19, 2-20, 2-21, 2-22, 2-23, 2-24, 2-25, 2-26, 2-27, 2-28, 2-29, 2-30, 2-31,
26 2-32, 2-34, 2-35, 2-36, 2-37, 3-8, 3-11, 3-24, 3-27 and 3-28 of East Baton Rouge
27 Parish.
28 (iii) The parishes of East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany,
29 Tangipahoa, Washington, and West Feliciana shall compose the third district of the
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SLS 24RS-801 ORIGINAL
1 first circuit.
2 * * *
3 §312.1. Circuit court of appeal; domicile; number of judges; election
4 A.(1) The Court of Appeal for the First Circuit, domiciled in the city of Baton
5 Rouge, shall have twelve judges. Four judges shall be elected from each of the three
6 districts composing the circuit by the qualified electors of each district, respectively.
7 (2) However, in In the first district, one judge, Division C, shall be elected
8 from election section one by the qualified electors of election section one, and one
9 judge, Division A, shall be elected from election section two by the qualified electors
10 of election section two. The remaining two judges in the first district, Divisions B
11 and D, shall be elected by the qualified electors of the entire first district.
12 (3) In the second district, two judges, Divisions A and B, shall be elected
13 from election section one by the qualified electors of election section one, and
14 two judges, Divisions C and D, shall be elected from election section two by the
15 qualified electors of election section two.
16 * * *
17 Section 2.(A) Each judge of the second district in office on the effective date of this
18 Act shall be the judge for the election section, subdistrict having the same designation as the
19 election section, subdistrict from which the justice was elected and may complete the term
20 for which he was elected.
21 (B)(1) The successor to the office of a judge of the second district shall be elected
22 from the election section assigned to that office as provided by R.S. 13:312.1. The election
23 shall be from the election section composed as provided by R.S. 13:312.
24 (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, there shall be no
25 requirement that a judge be a resident of the election section for which he holds office;
26 however, the judge shall be a resident of the second district of the Court of Appeal for the
27 First Circuit, in accordance with law.
28 Section 3. The election to fill the judgeship currently designated as Division C of the
29 second district shall be held at the congressional elections to be held in 2024 from election
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SLS 24RS-801 ORIGINAL
1 section two as established by this Act or at any specially called election due to the earlier of
2 the death, resignation, retirement, or incapacity of a judge serving on the effective date of
3 this Act.
4 Section 4.(A) The precincts referenced in this Act are those precincts identified as
5 Voting Districts (VTDs) in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the
6 State of Louisiana as validated through the data verification program of the Louisiana House
7 of Representatives and the Louisiana Senate and available on the legislature's website on the
8 effective date of this Section.
9 (B) When a precinct referenced in this Act has been subdivided by action of the
10 parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish
11 governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with the provisions of R.S.
12 18:532.1, the enumeration in this Act of the general precinct designation shall include all
13 nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof, however such subdivisions may be
14 designated.
15 (C) The territorial limits of the districts as provided in this Act shall continue in
16 effect until changed by law regardless of any subsequent change made to the precincts by
17 the parish governing authority.
18 Section 5. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
19 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
20 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
21 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
22 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 399 Original 2024 Regular Session Fields
Present law divides the state into five court of appeal circuits and divides each circuit intothree districts. Provides that the Court of Appeal for the First Circuit is comprised ofAscension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston,Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington,West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes.
Present law provides that the second district of the Court of Appeal for the First Circuit is
Page 4 of 5
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 399
SLS 24RS-801 ORIGINAL
comprised of East Baton Rouge Parish.
Present law provides that the second district will be divided into two subdistricts pursuant
to the Consent Judgment in the United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana,
case of Janice Clark, et al. v. Charles "Buddy" Roemer, Governor of Louisiana, et al., Civil
Action No. 86-435(A). Subdistrict one shall elect judges for Divisions A, B, and C.
Subdistrict two shall elect a judge for Division D.
Proposed law divides the second district into two election sections. Further provides that twojudges for Divisions A and B will be elected from election section one, and two judges forDivisions C and D will be elected from election section two.
Proposed law provides that each judge of the second district in office on the effective dateof this Act will be the judge for the election section, subdistrict having the same designationas the election section, subdistrict from which the justice was elected and may complete theterm for which he was elected. Further provides that the successor to the office of a judgeof the second district will be elected from the election section assigned to that office as
provided by proposed law.
Proposed law provides the election to fill the judgeship currently designated as Division Cwill be held at the congressional election to be held in 2024.
Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions are those precinctsidentified as Voting Districts (VTDs) in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/LineShapefiles for the state of La. as validated through the data verification program of the La.legislature. Also specifies that if any such precinct has been subdivided by action of theparish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish
governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with present law, the enumerationof the general precinct designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographicsubdivisions thereof. Further provides that the territorial limits of the districts as enactedshall continue in effect without change regardless of any subsequent change made to theprecincts by the parish governing authority.
Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2020 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.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 13:312(1)(b) and 312.1(A))
Page 5 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. 227,271ES1 2 228,390 -1,119 -0.490%
229,510ES2 2 228,390 1,120 0.490%
Plan: SLS 24RS-801 (Fields)
Plan Statistics
Districts: Relative DeviationAbsolute Deviation# of Members Actual PopulationIdeal Population
Grand Total: 4 456,781 456,780
Ideal Population Per Member:
Number of Districts for Plan Type:
Absolute Mean Deviation:
Range of District Populations:
Absolute Overall Range:
Absolute Range:
Relative Overall Range:
Relative Range:
Relative Mean Deviation:
Ideal - Actual:
Unassigned Population:
Remainder:
114195
2
227,271
1,120
-1,119
2,239
0.49%
-0.49%
0.98%
to
to
to
229,510
1,120
0.49%
-1
1
0 ES1 52,986 10,877 3,166 15,645227,271 144,597 18,072 179,541 11,1322,4938,23638,528119,152 12,691
23.314% 4.786% 1.393% 6.884%100.000% 63.623% 7.952% 100.000% 21.459%66.365% 4.587% 1.389% 6.200% 7.069%
ES2 160,412 5,548 1,561 10,517229,510 51,472 12,479 176,071 7,4631,2544,363118,26244,729 8,848
69.893% 2.417% 0.680% 4.582%100.000% 22.427% 5.437% 100.000% 67.167%25.404% 2.478% 0.712% 4.239% 5.025%
Plan: SLS 24RS-801 (Fields)
Total Population
Total
Population VAP Total
Total
Hispanic
Total
Other
Total
American
Indian
Total
Asian
Total
White
Total
Black VAP White VAP Black VAP Asian
VAP
American
Indian VAP Other
VAP
Hispanic
Total
Grand Total 213,398 16,425 4,727 26,162456,781 196,069 30,551 355,612 18,5953,74712,599156,790163,881 21,539
46.718% 3.596% 1.035% 5.727%100.000% 42.924% 6.688% 100.000% 5.229%1.054%3.543%44.090%46.084% 6.057% ES1 27,730 10,241 42,872 59,072141,856 103,885 39,912
19.548% 7.219% 30.222% 41.642%79.010% 73.233% 28.136%
ES2 91,772 6,349 80,750 15,332126,981 28,860 30,899
72.272% 5.000% 63.592% 12.074%72.119% 22.728% 24.334%
Plan: SLS 24RS-801 (Fields)
Voter Registration
Reg Total
Dec 2023
Reg Other
Total
Dec 2023
Reg Rep
Total
Dec 2023
Reg Dem
Total
Dec 2023
Reg Other
Dec 2023
Reg White
Dec 2023
Reg Black
Dec 2023
Grand Total 119,502 16,590 123,622 74,404268,837 132,745 70,811 ES1
*East Baton Rouge 52,986 10,877 3,166 15,645227,271 144,597 179,541 119,152 141,85611,1322,4938,23638,528 27,730103,885 10,241
ES1 52,986 10,877 3,166 15,645227,271 144,597 179,541 119,152 141,85611,1322,4938,23638,528 103,885 27,730 10,241
23.314% 4.786% 1.393% 6.884%100.000% 63.623% 100.000% 66.365% 79.010%6.200%1.389%4.587%21.459% 73.233% 19.548% 7.219%
ES2
*East Baton Rouge 160,412 5,548 1,561 10,517229,510 51,472 176,071 44,729 126,9817,4631,2544,363118,262 91,77228,860 6,349
ES2 160,412 5,548 1,561 10,517229,510 51,472 176,071 44,729 126,9817,4631,2544,363118,262 28,860 91,772 6,349
69.893% 2.417% 0.680% 4.582%100.000% 22.427% 100.000% 25.404% 72.119%4.239%0.712%2.478%67.167% 22.728% 72.272% 5.000%
Plan: SLS 24RS-801 (Fields)
Splits
Total
Population VAP WhiteVAP Total
Total
Other
Total
American
Indian
Total
Asian
Total
White
Total
Black VAP Black VAP Asian
VAP
American
Indian VAP Other
Reg Total
Dec 2023
Reg White
Dec 2023
Reg Black
Dec 2023
Reg Other
Dec 2023 EBR
WBR
Livingston
Iberville
St. Helena
Pointe Coupee
E Feliciana
Ascension
W Feliciana
6
2
27
2-6
4-1
21
2-5
19
6A
18
6B
5
18
3
2-7
20
1
23
19
20
4A
20
4
5
22
18
9
12
22
1
2
1B
17
11
19A
16
3
8A
192-8
21A
5
4
17
2B
4
1A
22
2-26
3-2
6
3-50
3-47
7
2-37
3
5
24
3
3A
15
3-1
27
2-21
3-56
8B
2-28
3-1
3A
2
2-35
3-6
5B
1
2-15
3-9
36A
28
76
6
29
5A
2-32
3-30
8
39
4A
2-14
2-13
2-3
10
1B
1-17
3-37
3-57
21B
16B
22B
3-21
28
7
3-2
6
7B
36
40
8
23C
2-25
3-8
25
5D
3-5
3-2
7C
2-33
3-61
8
21
15
2-1
3B
9
3-48
3-25
43
2-34
2B
34
6133
1-91
2
3-19
2-27
7A
3-14
41
4A
23B
2-242A
39A
1C
29
3-46
2-17
40A
3-22
10
3-67
3-69
2-9
24C
1A
35
3-54
2-10
3-39
3-58
1-95
1-100
2-18
2-12
3-24
1-96
1-5
8A
14A
3-12
3-63
2-11
1-1
23A
1-46
26
1-102
24B
1-97
3-51
14
24D
3-33
9
1-66
3-34
3-45
1D
35A
1-73
1-2
3-52
1-56
9
1-80
3-62
1-70
3-18
3-23
3-71
1-98
10
1-101
3-6
0
64
3-75
1-23
1-89
12
2-22
14B
1-78
3-35
7D
3-38
2-2
3-27
19
1-33
3-40
1-47
3-3
2-29
1-104
1-86
1-99
2-30
1-72
3-7
2-4
68
4B
1-42
1-85
26B
1D
1-90
1-31
3-76
3-73
7A
3-59
2-36
1-87
1-521-60
3-17
2-38
1-83
3-31
1-34
3-70
4B
1-20
3-41
1-55
1-9
1-69
1-48
3-15
1-74
1-43
1-36
2-31
26A
1-58
1-71
3-28
1-13
3-29
1-37
3-72
3-55
1-49
1-82
7B
3-64
39B
3-16
15
1-92
3-36
1-32
1-53
1-62
1-105
3-49
1-54
1-93
1-57
3-42
1-61
11
1-38
1-16
1-103
1-10
!ES1
!ES2
LACoA - 1st Circuit - 2nd District