COURTS: Provides relative to the city court system in Avoyelles Parish (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)
HB 1252 revises the statutory framework for the city courts of Bunkie and Marksville in Avoyelles Parish. For Bunkie, the bill confirms the court’s territorial jurisdiction over wards 7, 8, 9, and 10, gives it a small claims division, and grants concurrent jurisdiction with the Twelfth Judicial District Court over criminal misdemeanors, civil cases under $50,000, and juvenile matters. It also sets new election timing for the city judge and marshal, beginning with the 2026 congressional general election and recurring every six years.
For Marksville, the bill abolishes the justice of the peace and constable offices in Ward 2 and creates the City Court of the Town of Marksville with jurisdiction over the town and wards 1 through 6 and 11. It provides for initial gubernatorial appointments of the judge and marshal, then later elections for those offices, and makes clear that appeals from certain justice of the peace court decisions in the covered wards are reviewable by the city court as a matter of record. The bill also updates court fee provisions, allowing the city judge to assess costs in criminal and civil matters up to specified caps, and permits study or grant-seeking for online fine payment and virtual court appearances.
The bill’s impact is primarily local and structural: it changes which courts hear cases in parts of Avoyelles Parish, shifts some matters from justice of the peace and mayor’s courts into the new or expanded city court system, and adjusts how fines, costs, and court revenues are collected and distributed. It also creates a transition rule so the expanded jurisdiction applies only to matters filed on or after January 1, 2027, while earlier-filed cases remain in their original courts.
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and largely noncontroversial. The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously at each recorded vote, and it ultimately became law without the governor’s signature as Act 972. That voting history suggests broad legislative agreement on the need to modernize and clarify the local court structure in Avoyelles Parish.
The main points of contention, if any, are not reflected in the recorded votes or available committee discussion. The bill does make several substantive changes that could matter to local officials and litigants—especially the abolition of certain justice of the peace and mayor’s court functions, the expansion of city court jurisdiction, and the increase in allowable court costs—but no organized opposition is evident in the available record.
HB 1252 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 13 to redefine the jurisdiction, election procedures, and fee authority of the City Courts of Bunkie and Marksville in Avoyelles Parish. It abolishes or phases out certain local offices in Marksville, expands the courts’ territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction, establishes appeal procedures for justice of the peace decisions, and authorizes higher court costs and related administrative practices. The bill applies prospectively to matters filed on or after January 1, 2027, preserving preexisting cases in their original courts.
The bill’s legislative history shows unanimous support in both chambers, with repeated 0-nay votes on final passage and on later amendment and conference actions. There is no committee transcript indicating debate or opposition, and the measure became law without the governor’s signature. Overall, the sentiment appears positive and administrative rather than contentious, reflecting consensus on local court reorganization.
No significant contention is evident in the available record. The only issues that might have drawn local interest are the abolition of justice of the peace, constable, and mayor’s court functions in parts of Marksville; the expansion of city court jurisdiction in Bunkie and Marksville; and the increase in allowable court costs. However, the unanimous votes suggest these changes were broadly accepted by legislators.