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ACT No. 9722026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1252 (Substitute for House Bill No. 1165 by Representative Deshotel)
BY REPRESENTATIVE DESHOTEL
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1952(introductory paragraph) and (7), 2488.51(A) through
3 (C), 2488.57, 2488.58(A), and 2488.59 and to enact R.S. 13:2488.51(F) and (G),
4 relative to the city courts of Avoyelles Parish; to provide for the jurisdiction of the
5 city court of Bunkie; to provide for the jurisdiction of the city court of Marksville;
6 to provide for elections; to provide for the appellate review of justice of the peace
7 decisions; to provide for the imposition and payment of fees in the city courts of
8 Bunkie and Marksville; to provide for applicability; to provide for an effective date;
9 and to provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 13:1952(introductory paragraph) and (7), 2488.51(A) through (C),
12 2488.57, 2488.58(A), and 2488.59 are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
13 13:2488.51(F) and (G) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 §1952. Courts created by special legislative Act
15 The following city courts, heretofore created and established by special
16 legislative Act, are hereby recognized and continued in existence and, except as
17 otherwise provided in this Section, their the respective territorial jurisdiction shall
18 extend through the city and ward or wards wherein the city in which they are each
19 court is domiciled is located, as such boundaries may be extended from time to time:
20 * * *
21 (7)(a) The City Court of Bunkie, domiciled in the city of Bunkie, parish of
22 Avoyelles, having one city judge and a city marshal; its territorial jurisdiction shall
23 extend over all territory which is now or hereafter included throughout wards seven,
24 eight, nine and ten of the parish of Avoyelles. The city court shall have a small
25 claims division and shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Twelfth Judicial
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1 District Court in all criminal misdemeanor cases, civil cases with disputes less than
2 fifty thousand dollars, and juvenile matters.
3 (b) The city judge and marshal of Bunkie shall be elected by the qualified
4 electors of wards seven, eight, nine and ten of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, at the
5 general election for representatives in congress, to be held in Louisiana on the first
6 Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2026 and every six years
7 thereafter.
8 * * *
9 §2488.51. City Court of Marksville; officials and employees; jurisdiction;
10 provisions governing
11 A. The offices of the justice of the peace and constable in Ward 2 ward two
12 of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, the Mayor's Court of the Town of Marksville,
13 Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, are abolished, and there is hereby created and
14 established a court, to be styled the City Court of the Town of Marksville, Louisiana,
15 the territorial jurisdiction of which shall extend throughout the town of Marksville,
16 Louisiana and throughout the whole of Ward 2 wards one, two, three, four, five, six
17 and eleven, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. The court shall be composed of a city
18 judge, a marshal, and a clerk of said the court. The offices of city judge and marshal
19 shall be filled initially by appointment by the governor. The court shall be domiciled
20 in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.
21 B. The offices of the justice of the peace and constable of Ward 2 of
22 Avoyelles Parish are hereby abolished upon the expiration of the terms of office of
23 the incumbent justices of the peace and constables thereof. Until the expiration of
24 the terms of office of the incumbent justices of the peace and constables, the
25 jurisdiction of the justice of the peace court shall be exclusive jurisdiction to the
26 extent of the jurisdiction presently vested in the justice of the peace court by the
27 constitution and the laws of this state. The justice of the peace and constable courts
28 in wards one, three, four, five, six and eleven shall work in conjunction with the city
29 court. There shall be no justice of the peace or mayor's court in ward two.
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1 C. The city judge and marshal appointed by the governor shall serve until
2 their successors are elected by the qualified electors of Ward 2 of Avoyelles Parish,
3 Louisiana, at the general election for Representatives in Congress, to be held in
4 Louisiana on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 1974,
5 and their successors shall be elected thereafter in conformity with the provisions of
6 Article VII of Section 51 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1921 and other applicable
7 provisions of the law. The city court shall have a small claims division and shall
8 have concurrent jurisdiction with the Twelfth Judicial District Court in all criminal
9 misdemeanor cases, civil cases with disputes less than fifty thousand dollars, and
10 juvenile matters.
11 * * *
12 F. All cases appealable from the justice of the peace courts in wards one,
13 three, four, five, six and eleven shall be reviewable and appealable to the city court
14 in the manner as prescribed in the Code of Civil Procedure Article 2081, et seq. and
15 made a matter of record.
16 G. The city judge and marshal of Marksville shall be elected by the qualified
17 electors of wards one, two, three, four, five, six, and eleven of Avoyelles Parish,
18 Louisiana, at the general election for representatives in Congress, to be held in
19 Louisiana on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2026
20 and every six years thereafter.
21 * * *
22 §2488.57. Collection of fines, forfeitures, penalties, and costs
23 A. The city judge, or any officer of the city court designated by the city
24 judge, shall collect all fines, forfeitures, penalties, and costs, and all funds so
25 collected funds, excluding costs, shall be paid into the town treasury of the town of
26 Marksville when the prosecution is on behalf of the town, and into the parish
27 treasury when the prosecution is on behalf of the state or the parish.
28 B. The city judge may engage a study or seek out grants for the
29 implementation of an online method for the payment of fines and for virtual court
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1 appearances. The expenses for any study are to be paid with proceeds from the
2 court's criminal fund upon the approval of the city and parish governing authorities.
3 §2488.58. Criminal matters; costs
4 A. In all criminal matters, including traffic violation cases, the city judge
5 may assess, in addition to the fine or other penalty imposed, costs of court in an
6 amount not to exceed eight twenty dollars.
7 * * *
8 §2488.59. Civil matters; costs
9 In all civil matters, in addition to any other costs or fees provided by law, the
10 city judge may assess an additional cost of court in an amount not to exceed ten
11 twenty dollars, except as otherwise provided by law.
12 Section 2. Notwithstanding any provision of this Act to the contrary, the expanded
13 territorial jurisdiction and concurrent jurisdiction granted to the City Court of Bunkie and
14 the City Court of Marksville pursuant to this Act shall apply only to causes of action,
15 criminal proceedings, juvenile proceedings, and other matters filed on or after January 1,
16 2027. All matters filed prior to January 1, 2027, shall remain in the court where originally
17 filed and shall proceed to conclusion in that court unless otherwise provided by law.
18 Section 3. 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.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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