SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA ANNUAL REPORT 2007 of the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court THE SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA From left, Justice Jeannette Theriot Knoll, Justice Jeffrey P. Victory, Justice Catherine D. “Kitty” Kimball, Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., Justice Bernette J. Johnson, Justice Chet D. Traylor, Justice John L. Weimer CHIEF JUSTICE JUSTICE JEFFREY P. VICTORY JUSTICE CATHERINE D. PASCAL F. CALOGERO, JR. Second Supreme Court District KIMBALL First Supreme Court District Allen, Beauregard, Bossier, Caddo, DeSo- Fifth Supreme Court District Jefferson, Orleans, St. Helena, St. Tam- to, Evangeline, Natchitoches, Red River, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Felici- many, Tangipahoa, and Washington Sabine, Vernon, and Webster Parishes.* ana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Parishes.* West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana JUSTICE JEANNETTE Parishes.* THERIOT KNOLL Third Supreme Court District JUSTICE JOHN L. WEIMER Acadia, Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Cameron, Sixth Supreme Court District Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, and Assumption, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Vermilion.* Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. JUSTICE CHET D. TRAYLOR Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes.* Fourth Supreme Court District Bienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, Clai- JUSTICE BERNETTE J. borne, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, JOHNSON Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Seventh Supreme Court District Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Rapides, Jefferson and Orleans Parishes.* Richland, Tensas, Union, West Carroll, and Winn Parishes.* * See Court District Maps on pages 6-7. ABOUT THIS REPORT RESOURCES ON THE WEB AT WWW.LASC.ORG The Supreme Court Annual Report is a useful guide to judicial A detailed version of the 2007 LOUISIANA SUPREME personnel and contacts throughout the state, as well as an over- COURT ACCOMPLISHMENTS and the GUIDE TO view of the Court’s progress in 2007. LOUISIANA COURTS section featuring a list of judges, clerks and administrators (complete with contact phone numbers) The STATISTICAL DATA section summarizes two-year for the Courts of Appeal, District Courts, and City and Parish activity trends in juvenile, civil, criminal and traffic categories Courts statewide are now available on the Louisiana Supreme for courts at all levels in the state, and includes maps of electoral Court web site at www.lasc.org/press_room/publications.asp. districts for the Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal, and ON THE COVER District Courts. Portrait of Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. painted by Auseklis Ozols, 2003. Given by The Louisiana Supreme Court Historical Society. MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE 1 REFLECTIONS ON A JUDICIAL CAREER s Chief Justice, each year I have the pleasure of Apenning this Annual Report Message as an intro- duction to the Annual Report of the work of the Louisiana Supreme Court over the preceding year. Because I am retiring at the end of 2008 as my term of office comes to a close, this will be my final Annual Report Message. In preparing this last Message, I Public Defender Board, and sig- had the occasion to reflect back on nificantly increased much-needed the work of the Louisiana Supreme funding. And, of course, in 2004 Court during my 18-year tenure after two decades of effort, the res- as Chief Justice. I believe we have toration of the Louisiana Supreme accomplished much during the last Court building was completed in two decades, and I am proud of the New Orleans’ French Quarter, and work of the Justices and our Supreme now houses the Louisiana Supreme Court staff. Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of While it is impossible to enumerate Appeal, the Louisiana Law Library, all of the administrative reforms that and the office of the Judicial have been instituted, I do want to Administrator, among other offices. mention some of our most significant I am also proud of the improve- initiatives in the recent past. First ments the Court has made in the and foremost, I am proud to say that area of judicial and attorney disci- throughout the past 34 years, the pline. Over the last two decades, Supreme Court has successfully main- one of our Court’s top priorities tained a consistently current docket, has been Louisiana’s judicial disci- to insure the adequate funding of notwithstanding that during this time pline system. In its constitutional the system. For the last fifteen years, the volume of cases has more than role of superintendence of the the system has worked extremely well tripled. I have delivered a “State of state judiciary, the Supreme Court thanks to the efforts of the Disci- the Judiciary” address every two years reformed the judicial discipline plinary Board Hearing Committees, to a Joint Session of the Louisiana system, including the creation of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Legislature, and several years ago, the Office of Special Counsel and Board, and the Office of Disciplinary I spoke to them about the need to the hiring of an aggressive prosecu- Counsel. The Hearing Committees reform Louisiana’s juvenile justice tor, as well as increasing available and Disciplinary Board are composed system. The Legislature responded, funding and staff. Also hired was a of volunteers, all of whom expend and significant reforms in juvenile legal counsel for the Judiciary Com- a substantial amount of time and justice have been implemented in mission. These efforts, combined effort, without pay, to make the attor- partnership with the legislative and with dedicated volunteer judges and ney discipline process work at very executive branches. I am also proud volunteer attorney and lay members little expense to the public. of the progress that has been made in of the Commission, have resulted in Our work continued even during the area of indigent defense, a vital an increase in the number, as well as the unprecedented natural disasters part of a working criminal justice sys- improvements in the adjudication, of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tem. Our work began in 1993 with of judicial discipline cases. We also in 2005. The Louisiana Supreme the establishment by Supreme Court addressed head-on, the increasing Court almost immediately relo- rule of a statewide indigent defender concerns regarding lawyer miscon- cated to Baton Rouge, thanks to board, which later was transferred duct and the need for reasonable and the courtesies of the First Circuit to the executive branch. After years adequate attorney discipline. Louisi- Court of Appeal. The Justices and of concerns about adequate funding ana’s lawyer discipline system was the staff worked in Baton Rouge for and the need for continued reform, first based on the ABA’s Model Code three months, before returning to the Legislature recently acted to to be instituted in the United States. the Courthouse on Royal Street increase authority of the Louisiana Over the years, the Court has acted in December, 2005. Although the Annual Report 2007 • SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA 2 MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE Supreme Court’s operations were the Court as Chief Justice: Justices bers of the Louisiana Legislature, as only minimally affected by the Jim Dennis, Harry Lemmon, Luther well as the distinguished Governors storms, many of our lower courts Cole, Jack Watson, Revius Ortique with whom I have had the pleasure were much harder hit, and we and Joseph Bleich, and deceased Jus- to work during my tenure as Chief assisted in their recovery efforts. tices Walter Marcus and Pike Hall. I Justice. We also assisted in the recovery of also thank the members of the state A special thanks to my lovely wife, the criminal justice system, in large judiciary, whose ranks are filled with Leslie, for her love, support and measure through the workings of the hard-working, competent, ethical, understanding these many years, and Judicial Committee of the Southeast dedicated public servants who rou- to my ten children, who have made Louisiana Criminal Justice Recovery tinely act without selfish motives. me proud. Task Force, which was ably chaired by I thank our Judicial Administra- And finally, I thank the citizens of Justice Kitty Kimball. tor, Dr. Hugh M. Collins, and his this great state of Louisiana, and the Two of the major highlights of professional and exceptional staff, electorate from the First Supreme 2007 were the successful midyear composed of Deputy Judicial Admin- Court district, for bestowing upon meeting of the Conference of Chief istrators and support staff. Their me the privilege of serving as a Justice Justices in New Orleans, which assistance to me has been invaluable. of the Louisiana Supreme Court for we hosted, and the opening of the Thanks also to our Clerk of Court, 36 years, and as your Chief Justice Louisiana Supreme Court Museum John T. Olivier, and his staff, as well since 1990. It has truly been an adjoining the lobby of the Court- as the director of our Louisiana Law honor for this public servant, whose house and open to the public, thanks Library, Georgia Chadwick, and her only professional goal has been to to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. long-time predecessor Carol Billings. serve the citizens of Louisiana with A personal highlight of 2007, and Thanks to all of the past and present integrity, honesty, and a dedication to also a milestone in my judicial career, employees of the Louisiana Supreme justice and the law. was my receipt of the Fourth Annual Court, including our Civil and Cen- And now, for my final time, I have Dwight D. Opperman Award for tral Staffs, our Information Technol- the distinct pleasure of submitting to Judicial Excellence from the Ameri- ogy staff, our Security staff, and the the Supreme Court of Louisiana, to can Judicature Society, a national law clerks and personal staff of the the Board of Governors of the Loui- nonpartisan organization dedicated Justices. I also owe a special debt of siana State Bar Association, to the to the effective administration of gratitude to the many talented law citizens of Louisiana, and to other justice.