Louisiana Supreme Court Decisions

The unique origins of the Louisiana Supreme Court date back to the French and Spanish heritage of the state. Seven justices serve on the Court, which holds discretionary jurisdiction over all cases other than those involving the death penalty. This means that the Court can choose whether to review a case. The justice with the greatest seniority on the Court serves as the Chief Justice, who is viewed as the chief administrative officer of the judicial system in Louisiana. In 2008, a Tulane University study questioned the impartiality of the justices, arguing that they favored parties and attorneys who had made contributions to them. However, Chief Justice Pascal Calogero pointed out errors in the data and methodology of the study, which undermined its conclusions.

Each justice serves a 10-year term. Louisiana is divided into seven districts for the purposes of these elections, and each district elects a justice. These elections are partisan, which means that the party affiliation of the justice appears on the ballot. To run for election to the Louisiana Supreme Court, a candidate needs to be domiciled in the district, circuit, or parish in which they are running for election for at least one year before the election. They also must be younger than 70 and must have been admitted to practice law in Louisiana for at least 10 years.

A justice may be removed from the Louisiana Supreme Court if they are impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives in a majority vote and convicted by the Louisiana Senate in a two-thirds vote. Alternatively, a justice may be removed from the Court if the judiciary commission in the state recommends removal. If a current justice on the Court chooses to pursue an office outside the judicial branch, they must resign from serving on the Court. They cannot receive contributions to a non-judicial campaign while serving on the Court.

Browse Opinions From the Louisiana Supreme Court

Recent Decisions From the Louisiana Supreme Court
STATE OF LOUISIANA VS. KAYLA JEAN GILES COUTEE
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2023-K-01549
Orgeron v. Orgeron  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-00676

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Kelly O. Orgeron, sought a community property share of $16,949,000 in liquidated damages paid to her ex-husband, Edward J. Orgeron, Jr., upon the termination of his employment as a college football coach…

23rd Psalm Trucking, L.L.C. v. Madison Parish Police Jury  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-00808

Justia Opinion Summary: 23rd Psalm Trucking, L.L.C. entered into a four-year contract with the Madison Parish Police Jury on July 14, 2014, to collect and dispose of residential waste. The contract was extended for an additional three years,…

Williams v. Department of Public Safety and Corrections  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-00957

Justia Opinion Summary: Gerald Williams, an inmate in Louisiana, filed a suit for judicial review after the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole revoked his parole. Williams was originally convicted of armed robbery in 1985 and sentenced to 99…

JUSTIN IRWIN VS. JOHN BRADLEY BRENT
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-01043
McBride v. Old Republic Insurance Co.  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-01519

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, employees and independent contractors of White Oak Radiator Service, Inc., were injured while performing work at Enable Midstream Partners, LP's natural gas processing plant. The work involved removing and…

In re D.D.  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-CK-00254

Justia Opinion Summary: D.D., a juvenile, was adjudicated delinquent for committing second-degree rape at the age of fourteen and was committed to the custody of the Office of Juvenile Justice until his twenty-first birthday. Upon release, he…

STATE OF LOUISIANA VS. MALCOLM J. CHESTER
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-K-00207
STATE OF LOUISIANA VS. DIONTE BRACKEN
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-K-00375
STATE OF LOUISIANA VS. REGINALD RUFFINS
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-K-01512
STATE OF LOUISIANA VS. NOEHL  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-KK-01224

Justia Opinion Summary: John and Analise Noehl were indicted for second-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile after their seven-week-old son, D.N., was brought to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, including a skull fracture and…

State v. Thomas  
Date: June 27, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-KP-00267

Justia Opinion Summary: The applicant was convicted of second-degree murder by a Lafourche Parish jury for the shooting death of Deeric Raymond during a confrontation outside the applicant’s home. The incident occurred when Deeric and his…

DAY VS. THOMPSON  
Date: May 9, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-00802

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a motor vehicle accident that occurred on March 31, 2017, in Calcasieu Parish. Elvis Dean Thompson, driving an 18-wheeler for Terry Graham Trucking, rear-ended Tracey Day's vehicle, which then struck…

FOUNDATION ELEVATION & REPAIR, LLC VS. MILLER  
Date: May 9, 2025
Docket Number: 2024-C-00810

Justia Opinion Summary: Kenneth and Doreen Miller entered into a contract with Foundation, Elevation & Repair, LLC (FER) in 2010 for home elevation and foundation work. They also hired Direct Source Home Renovation, LLC (DSHR), owned by the…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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