Louisiana judicial news

• JP Election Brief: Focus on the Gulf States and Northwest, May 17, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/2/2012, May 02, 2012
• JP Election Brief: Florida gets ready as Alabama wraps up (and more!), Apr 26, 2012
• JP Election Brief: Changing the rules in Florida and Nevada (and more!), Apr 19, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 4/4/2012, Apr 04, 2012
• Louisiana sues county in Arkansas over photocopies, Mar 16, 2012
• JP Election Brief: Heading south with news from Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas, Mar 15, 2012
• Former governor touts achievements of diversity in Louisiana, Feb 28, 2012
• Louisiana appellate court travels the circuit, Feb 15, 2012
• Robert Burgess censured by Louisiana Supreme Court, Jan 27, 2012
• Judge, Attorney General face-off in Louisiana over lawyers in oil spill case, Jan 16, 2012

• Louisiana insurer must pay $93M, Supreme Court rules, Dec 28, 2011
• Jenkins appointed to Orleans Parish District Court, Dec 14, 2011
• Two Louisiana judges win run-off elections, Nov 25, 2011
• New Orleans judges spend big on state-funded trips, Nov 11, 2011
• Jane Triche-Milazzo confirmed by Senate for Louisiana judgeship, Nov 08, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 11/2/2011, Nov 02, 2011
• Election results: 2011 Louisiana primary, Oct 23, 2011
• New Orleans City Attorney confirmed as newest Louisiana federal judge, Oct 19, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 10/12/2011, Oct 12, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 10/5/2011, Oct 05, 2011
• Suspension recommended for attorney of ex-Judge Thomas Porteous, Sep 27, 2011
• New judge appointed to New Orleans Traffic Court, Sep 14, 2011
• Commission rates efficiency of Orleans Parish judges, Aug 24, 2011
• LeBlanc, Hall to serve as officers in the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana, Aug 13, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 7/20/2011, Jul 20, 2011
• Clinton Smith appointed temporary Orleans Parish Traffic Court judge, Jul 13, 2011
• Alarcon announces retirement from Louisiana District Court in Orleans Parish, Jun 23, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 6/8/2011, Jun 08, 2011
• Louisiana House votes against minority judgeship bill, Jun 08, 2011
• Legislature approves bill to build new Livingston Parish courthouse, May 27, 2011
• Higginson nominated for federal Circuit Court judgeship in New Orleans, May 10, 2011
• U.S. 5th Circuit Court upholds Louisiana court's adoption ruling, Apr 30, 2011
• Obama nominates two to fill federal court vacancies, Apr 01, 2011
• April 2 is election day in Louisiana, Apr 01, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Tensions mounting in the states, Mar 24, 2011
• Obama nominates three to federal district court seats, Mar 03, 2011
• No pay raises for Louisiana judges this year, Feb 25, 2011
• Baton Rouge court ruling enforces fees on criminal defendants, Feb 12, 2011

• Senate convicts Louisiana judge on four impeachment charges, Dec 10, 2010
• Louisiana: First state to finish reporting election results, Nov 03, 2010
• Louisiana district judge resigns from case involving slaying of prison guard, Sep 11, 2010
• Judge Downing to resign, Jul 20, 2010
• Louisiana federal judges confirmed, Jun 16, 2010
• Louisiana Court of Appeal judge announces retirement, May 04, 2010
• Longest serving judge in Louisiana to retire in 2011, Apr 25, 2010
• Impeachment trial begins for Louisiana federal judge, Apr 14, 2010
• Louisiana Court of Appeals judge announces bid for re-election, Mar 31, 2010
• Louisiana Supreme Court delivers ruling against pipeline companies, Mar 20, 2010
• Louisiana federal judge impeached, Mar 11, 2010
• Louisiana Supreme Court overturns ruling and disqualifies candidate, Mar 05, 2010
• Federal judge nominated for Louisiana, Feb 09, 2010
• Controversial Louisiana court ruling on timber theft, Feb 01, 2010
• Louisiana court suspends attorney, Jan 31, 2010
• Louisiana Supreme Court bans former judge from practicing law, Jan 23, 2010
• New judge appointed to Louisiana appellate court, Jan 21, 2010
• Former judge disbarred by Louisiana Supreme Court, Jan 20, 2010

• Impeachment proceedings against Thomas Porteous to continue, Nov 18, 2009
• Clark defeats Faircloth for seat on Louisiana Supreme Court, Oct 18, 2009
• Louisiana Supreme Court race candidates qualified, Aug 13, 2009
• Nominees for LA Supreme Court vacancy announced, Jul 10, 2009

Jefferson Parish district judge Martha Sassone eeks into runoff with Ellen Kovach

(October 7, 2008) Run-down of Jefferson Parish judicial contests.

KTBS-3, "Former judge Walker gets 10-year sentence for corruption", October 2, 2008

Caddo District judge Michael Walker was sentenced to ten years in prison on October 2, 2008; Walker's imprisonment was the result of having received kickbacks in return for bond reductions that allowed drug defendants to get out of jail. He was convicted along with Caddo Juvenile Court Judge Vernon Claville.

Judge's commute tallies $21,000

(8/26/08) Criminal Court District Judge Arthur Hunter was reimbursed for over $21,000 worth of travel in the last 3 years.

Plaquemines judge pleads not guilty to theft, malfeasance charges

(8/12/08) State Judge William Roe of Plaquemines Parish pleaded not guilty to theft and malfeasance charges related to financial mismanagement in the 25th Judicial District Court.

Opponent quits; incumbent keeps court judgeship

(8/12/08) District Judge Don Johnson's opponent, Tarvald Smith, dropped out of the race. Johnson has no remaining opponent in the 2008 election.

Candidates make it official as signup for races begins; Four open judge posts on Tammany ballot

(8/10/08) State Judges Elaine DiMiceli, Patricia Hedges, Larry Green and Donald Fendlason are retiring this year. The addition of the two family court judgeships would mean that at least half of the judicial positions -- or six of the court's 12 judicial divisions -- likely would be contested in October.

Appellate judge seeks promotion

(6/24/08) Roland Belsome officially announces his candidacy for the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Regional lawmakers back judicial split

(6/2/08) Legislators from surrounding parishes have formed a coalition to divide the first district of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. House Bill 854 by Rep. Eddie Lambert, a Republican from Gonzales, is expected to receive its final hearing on the Senate floor this week, but a group of coastal lawmakers are expected to float an alternative that could give the proposal a new life. Lambert argues that the northerly parishes in the district—Ascension, Assumption, Iberville and Pointe Coupee—are unable to gain representation on the benches. Presently, the vote-heavy areas of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes have a hold over all four of the district's at-large judgeships.

Judicial investigator quits LA post

(5/29/08) Steven Scheckman, special counsel to the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana quit his position to join the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Testimony begins in judge's corruption case

(5/27/2008) Justice was for sale at the hands of Caddo District Judge Michael Walker and Juvenile Court Judge Vernon Claville.The two acted with a local bondsman and an informant to reduce bonds, set low bonds and lift probation holds as a part of a bribery scheme.

Open Debate on Ethics Bill

(5/22/08) Gov. Jindal has signed ethics legislation aimed at lawmakers, the governor and other state and local officials, and the missing piece according to Advocate Opinion Staff is ethics reform regarding judges. Rep. Eric Ponti, Baton Rouge, has proposed bills to address this issue, and the bills should be before the Judiciary Committee next week.

Subdistrict carved out to elect a minority judge

(5/22/2008) The Justice Department agreed to the creation of a sub-district within Jefferson Parish; the parish is predominantly black and is governed by the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The NAACP sued the state in 2005, in order to get the majority-minority voting district.

Judicial hopefuls both are confident

(10/23/07) Rundown of judicial contestants for the 24th District; Republicans Donald Rowan and Deborah Villio faced off in the Nov. 17 runoff to replace Judge Charles Cusimano for the Division L seat.

Parish 2006 legal bills expected to be $850,000

(11/26/2006) Terrebonne Parish government requested $50,000 extra in legal fees for the 2006 fiscal year. At the time, it was estimated that $300,000 was spent on legal advice/research and $546,000 on litigation. The parish's seven attorneys charge $105 an hour for their work defending the parish in court, writing ordinances or researching legal questions.