HB 1252

ENROLLED
 2026 Regular Session
  ACT No. 972
 HOUSE BILL NO. 1252 (Substitute for House Bill No. 1165 by Representative Deshotel)
 BY REPRESENTATIVE DESHOTEL
1AN 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),
4relative to the city courts of Avoyelles Parish; to provide for the jurisdiction of the
5city court of Bunkie; to provide for the jurisdiction of the city court of Marksville;
6to provide for elections; to provide for the appellate review of justice of the peace
7decisions; to provide for the imposition and payment of fees in the city courts of
8Bunkie and Marksville; to provide for applicability; to provide for an effective date;
9and to provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11Section 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
15The following city courts, heretofore created and established by special
16legislative Act, are hereby recognized and continued in existence and, except as
17otherwise provided in this Section, their the respective territorial jurisdiction shall
18extend through the city and ward or wards wherein the city in which they are each
19court 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
22Avoyelles, having one city judge and a city marshal; its territorial jurisdiction shall
23extend over all territory which is now or hereafter included throughout wards seven,
24eight, nine and ten of the parish of Avoyelles. The city court shall have a small
25claims division and shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Twelfth Judicial
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 HB NO. 1252  ENROLLED
1District Court in all criminal misdemeanor cases, civil cases with disputes less than
2fifty thousand dollars, and juvenile matters.
3(b) The city judge and marshal of Bunkie shall be elected by the qualified
4electors of wards seven, eight, nine and ten of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, at the
5general election for representatives in congress, to be held in Louisiana on the first
6Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2026 and every six years
7thereafter.
8*       *  *
9§2488.51.     City Court of Marksville; officials and employees; jurisdiction;
10provisions governing
11A. The offices of the justice of the peace and constable in Ward 2 ward two
12of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, the Mayor's Court of the Town of Marksville,
13Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, are abolished, and there is hereby created and
14established a court, to be styled the City Court of the Town of Marksville, Louisiana,
15the territorial jurisdiction of which shall extend throughout the town of Marksville,
16Louisiana and throughout the whole of Ward 2 wards one, two, three, four, five, six
17and eleven, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. The court shall be composed of a city
18judge, a marshal, and a clerk of said the court. The offices of city judge and marshal
19shall be filled initially by appointment by the governor. The court shall be domiciled
20in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.
21B. The offices of the justice of the peace and constable of Ward 2 of
22Avoyelles Parish are hereby abolished upon the expiration of the terms of office of
23the incumbent justices of the peace and constables thereof. Until the expiration of
24the terms of office of the incumbent justices of the peace and constables, the
25jurisdiction of the justice of the peace court shall be exclusive jurisdiction to the
26extent of the jurisdiction presently vested in the justice of the peace court by the
27constitution and the laws of this state. The justice of the peace and constable courts
28in wards one, three, four, five, six and eleven shall work in conjunction with the city
29court. There shall be no justice of the peace or mayor's court in ward two.
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1C. The city judge and marshal appointed by the governor shall serve until
2their successors are elected by the qualified electors of Ward 2 of Avoyelles Parish,
3Louisiana, at the general election for Representatives in Congress, to be held in
4Louisiana on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 1974,
5and their successors shall be elected thereafter in conformity with the provisions of
6Article VII of Section 51 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1921 and other applicable
7provisions of the law. The city court shall have a small claims division and shall
8have concurrent jurisdiction with the Twelfth Judicial District Court in all criminal
9misdemeanor cases, civil cases with disputes less than fifty thousand dollars, and
10juvenile matters.
11*       *  *
12F. All cases appealable from the justice of the peace courts in wards one,
13three, four, five, six and eleven shall be reviewable and appealable to the city court
14in the manner as prescribed in the Code of Civil Procedure Article 2081, et seq. and
15made a matter of record.
16G. The city judge and marshal of Marksville shall be elected by the qualified
17electors of wards one, two, three, four, five, six, and eleven of Avoyelles Parish,
18Louisiana, at the general election for representatives in Congress, to be held in
19Louisiana on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2026
20and every six years thereafter.
21*       *  *
22§2488.57. Collection of fines, forfeitures, penalties, and costs
23A. The city judge, or any officer of the city court designated by the city
24judge, shall collect all fines, forfeitures, penalties, and costs, and all funds so
25collected funds, excluding costs, shall be paid into the town treasury of the town of
26Marksville when the prosecution is on behalf of the town, and into the parish
27treasury when the prosecution is on behalf of the state or the parish.
28B.    The city judge may engage a study or seek out grants for the
29implementation of an online method for the payment of fines and for virtual court
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1appearances. The expenses for any study are to be paid with proceeds from the
2court's criminal fund upon the approval of the city and parish governing authorities.
3§2488.58. Criminal matters; costs
4A. In all criminal matters, including traffic violation cases, the city judge
5may assess, in addition to the fine or other penalty imposed, costs of court in an
6amount not to exceed eight twenty dollars.
7*       *  *
8§2488.59. Civil matters; costs
9In all civil matters, in addition to any other costs or fees provided by law, the
10city judge may assess an additional cost of court in an amount not to exceed ten
11twenty dollars, except as otherwise provided by law.
12Section 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.
18Section 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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