2009 Louisiana Laws TITLE 13 Courts and judicial procedure :: RS 13:2492 Four judges; qualifications; election; salary; vacation

§2492.  Four judges; qualifications; election; salary; vacation

A.  The court shall consist of four judges, all of whom must be attorneys-at-law, who shall be elected by the qualified electors of the parish of Orleans.  They shall not be less than thirty years of age.  Each shall have practiced law in the state for at least five years preceding his election; and shall be a duly qualified elector of the parish of Orleans.  

B.  The first judges of the court elected at the congressional election of 1948 shall serve as follows: one of the judges for a term expiring December 31st, 1952, one for a term expiring December 31st, 1954, one for a term expiring December 31st, 1956, and one for a term expiring December 31st, 1958.  Thereafter each of the judges shall be elected for an eight year term at the regular congressional election held immediately preceding the expiration of such term.  Every term shall expire on December 31st of the last year thereof.  Any vacancy in the court for any cause where the unexpired term is less than one year shall be filled temporarily by appointment by the governor until the next succeeding congressional election, at which time such vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by election.  All judges so elected shall take their office on the first day of January following their election.  

C.  Each of the judges shall receive a salary of not less than eighteen thousand dollars per annum, payable monthly by the city of New Orleans on his own warrant.  

D.  Each of the judges of the municipal court of New Orleans shall have annual vacation of thirty days, the time to be fixed by the rules of the court.  

E.  Whenever any of the judges are temporarily absent because of court business, illness or while on vacation, a judge ad hoc may be appointed by the judges of the municipal court, acting en banc, to serve during the period of such temporary absence.  The judge ad hoc shall have the qualifications for election to the office and his compensation shall be proportionately equal to that of the judge for whom he is appointed to serve, and shall be payable in the same manner and from the same source and/or sources as that of such judge.  

*F.  The judge of the Municipal Court of New Orleans having the most seniority shall become the senior and administrative judge during his tenure of office and shall not engage in the practice of law or share in the profits, directly or indirectly, of any law firm or legal corporation.  The salary of the senior and administrative judge of the Municipal Court of New Orleans shall be the same as provided for district court judges in the state, payable monthly on his own warrant, of which the amount payable by the state to city judges of the state shall be paid by the state and the remainder shall be payable by the city of New Orleans.  Should the senior judge decline the position of senior and administrative judge then the next senior judge of the municipal court may assume the position.  

Amended by Acts 1952, No. 176, §1; Acts 1954, No. 404, §1; Acts 1960, No. 91, §1; Acts 1971, No. 141, §1; Acts 1975, No. 757, §1; Acts 1989, No. 718, §1; Acts 1993, No. 838, §1.  

*NOTE:  ACTS 1993, NO., 838, §2 PROVIDES THAT SUBSECTION F IS EFFECTIVE WHEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS APPROPRIATES SUFFICIENT FUNDS.