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This “owner’s manual” tells you how Louisiana government works. It provides tools you can use to ensure that the work is being done right and that government is responsive, efficient, and effective. It is your right to enjoy the freedom that democratic government provides. But it is also your responsibility to keep this complex machinery […]
Serious consideration should be given this legislative session to moving the state away from its current method of electing judges toward a merit-based system for selecting judges at the district court level and above. New data on judicial campaign finance and election results through the 2002 elections confirm past findings. PAR consistently finds troubling results […]
This study was not designed to be an exhaustive analysis of all the issues involved in public contacting for legal services. Rather it was intended to provide factual information which would enable us to identify areas of concern and provide a basis for additional inquiry.
Currently, the state constitution requires that all judges be elected. When elections are uncontested, the candidate is declared the winner without ever appearing on the ballot. A 1996 study examined all Louisiana judicial elections at the district court level and above from 1990 to 1994.
Louisiana should adopt merit selection for judges. This recommendation follows a year-long study by PAR that examined all judicial elections at the district court level and above from 1990 to 1994 and closely analyzed individual contributions for four selected races.
This report examines the costs involved in pursuing civil actions in Louisiana’s district courts. Civil court actions typically involve suits between parties to collect monetary damages, enforce contracts, collect debts or seek divorce. Other civil actions are more administrative in nature.