Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal

Jurisdiction of the current courts

The Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts in Louisiana. There are five courts in this appellate system. The courts were established in 1879. They primarily handle appeals in criminal court cases.

A court of appeal takes appeals from the district courts. The Circuit Courts of Appeal have jurisdiction in civil cases, cases appealed from family and juvenile courts, and most criminal cases. The courts may also review and supervise district court cases, and may defer questions of law to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Each of the five circuits is divided into at least three districts. The legislature may change, by a two-thirds vote of each house, the number of circuits, districts, and judges.

Judges

There are 53 judges on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal. Judges sit in panels of at least three; a majority of a panel must concur to decide on a case.

Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Christopher Hester	January 1, 2021 - Present
Hunter Greene	January 1, 2023 - Present
Wilson Fields	March 19, 2025 - Present
Kelly Balfour	January 1, 2025 - Present
Page McClendon	October 5, 2002 - Present
Allison H. Penzato	2017 - Present
Elizabeth Wolfe	2020 - Present
Blair Downing Edwards	January 1, 2025 - Present
Mitch Theriot	December 8, 2012 - Present
Walter I. Lanier III	January 1, 2019 - Present
Steve Miller	January 1, 2023 - Present
Tess Percy Stromberg	December 27, 2023 - Present

Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
James M. Stephens	January 1, 2018 - Present
Daniel Ellender	January 1, 2023 - Present
Marcus Hunter	May 5, 2021 - Present
Jeff Thompson	April 29, 2019 - Present
Jeff Robinson	February 11, 2021 - Present
Jeff Cox	2016 - Present
Craig Marcotte	April 25, 2022 - Present
Shonda Stone	2016 - Present
Frances Pitman	2012 - Present

Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Van H. Kyzar	2016 - Present
Elizabeth A. Pickett	1997 - Present
Shannon J. Gremillion	2008 - Present
Sharon Wilson	January 1, 2021 - Present
H. Guy Bradberry	January 1, 2023 - Present
Clayton Davis	January 1, 2025 - Present
Wilbur Stiles	January 1, 2023 - Present
Jonathan Perry	January 1, 2019 - Present
Charlie Fitzgerald	January 1, 2021 - Present
Gary J. Ortego	March 7, 2022 - Present
Ledricka Johnson Thierry	January 1, 2023 - Present
Candyce Perret	2017 - Present

Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Joy Cossich Lobrano	2010 - Present
Rose Ledet	2010 - Present
Tiffany Gautier Chase	January 1, 2018 - Present
Paula Brown	January 1, 2018 - Present
Nakisha Ervin-Knott	January 1, 2023 - Present
Rachael Johnson	January 1, 2023 - Present
Sandra Cabrina Jenkins	2012 - Present
Dale Atkins	2018 - Present
Monique Morial	January 1, 2025 - Present
Daniel L. Dysart	2010 - Present
Roland L. Belsome	2004 - Present
Karen K. Herman	January 1, 2023 - Present

Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Marc E. Johnson	2009 - Present
Fredericka Homberg Wicker	2006 - Present
John J. Molaison Jr.	January 1, 2019 - Present
Stephen J. Windhorst	2012 - Present
Susan M. Chehardy	1998 - Present
Scott Schlegel	January 1, 2024 - Present
Jude G. Gravois	2009 - Present
Timothy Marcel	January 1, 2024 - Present

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Louisiana

The 53 justices on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal are elected in partisan elections. Justices serve 10-year terms and must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving on the court.

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must be:

• licensed to practice law in the state for at least ten years;
• a resident of the district representing for at least one year;
• under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)

Chief justice

The chief justice is the justice on the court with the most seniority. When he or she retires, the justice with the next most seniority becomes chief justice.

Vacancies

Per Article V of the Louisiana Constitution, midterm vacancies are to be temporarily filled by the supreme court. Within one year of the opening, a special election (called by the governor, preferably on the date of a preexisting gubernatorial or congressional election) is to be held. If the supreme court has appointed a successor, that appointee may not run for the seat in the special election. The justice elected at the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $182,007, according to the National Center for State Courts.

Elections

To see results of Circuit Court of Appeal elections, visit the individual circuit pages.

For details about Louisiana's judicial elections, visit the Louisiana judicial elections page.

2025

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2025

A special election will be held in 2025 to replace John Guidry (D) on the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. The seat is up for partisan election on May 3, 2025. A primary is scheduled for March 29, 2025. The filing deadline was January 31, 2025.

Candidates and results

1st Circuit, 2nd Dist., Subdist. 2, Div. D

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Wilson Fields (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

2024

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of nine Louisiana intermediate appellate court judges expired on December 31, 2024. The nine seats were up for partisan election on December 7, 2024. The primary was November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was July 19, 2024.

One seat on the First Circuit Court of Appeal was up for election on April 27, 2024. A special election primary was scheduled for March 23, 2024. The filing deadline was December 15, 2023.

Judges with expiring terms

This is a list of the judges who were required to stand for partisan election in 2024 in order to remain on the bench. Judges could choose not to stand for election.

First Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Tess Percy Stromberg
■ Jewel Welch
■ Wayne Chutz
■ Allison H. Penzato

Second Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Shonda Stone

Third Circuit Court of Appeal

■ D. Kent Savoie
■ Candyce Perret

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Terri Love

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Marc Johnson

Candidates and election results

First Circuit First District (special election)

Division C: Holdridge vacancy

Judge Guy Holdridge (R) created a vacancy in District 1 when he resigned effective December 12, 2023. Tess Percy Stromberg (R) was the only candidate to file for this seat and was automatically elected.

First Circuit First District (regular election)

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Tess Percy Stromberg (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Chutz's seat

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Blair Downing Edwards (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Penzato's seat

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Allison H. Penzato (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

First Circuit Fifth District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Kelly Balfour won election outright against Eboni Johnson-Rose in the primary for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kelly Balfour (R)	57.3	89,812
	Submit photo	Eboni Johnson-Rose (D)	42.7	66,893

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 156,705
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Second Circuit Third District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Shonda Stone (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Third Circuit Second District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District

Clayton Davis won election outright against Anthony Eaves in the primary for Louisiana 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Clayton Davis (R)	60.6	62,122
		Anthony Eaves (R)	39.4	40,394

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 102,516
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Third Circuit Third District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Candyce Perret (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Fourth Circuit First District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Monique Morial (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Fifth Circuit First District

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Marc E. Johnson (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

2023

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2023

Two Louisiana intermediate appellate court judges retired in 2023. The two seats were up for partisan special election on November 18, 2023. A special primary was scheduled for October 14, 2023. Both the primary election and general election were not needed after only one candidate filed for each seat on the ballot.

Candidates and election results

Fifth Circuit First District

Section 1, Division F: Hans Liljeberg's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Scott Schlegel  (Republican Party) ✔

Fifth Circuit Third District

Division A: Robert A. Chaisson's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Timothy Marcel  (Democratic Party) ✔

Vacancies

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal District 1

Hans J. Liljeberg (R) created a vacancy when he retired effective February 28, 2023.

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal District 3

Robert A. Chaisson (D) created a vacancy when he resigned effective December 31, 2023.

2022

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of 22 Louisiana intermediate appellate court judges expired on December 31, 2022. The 22 seats were up for partisan election on December 10, 2022. A primary was scheduled for November 8, 2022.

An additional seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal was up in a special primary election on November 8, 2022. A general election was scheduled for December 10, 2022.

Two seats on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal were also up in a special general election on April 30, 2022. The primary was scheduled for March 26, 2022.

Candidates and election results

First Circuit First District

Division B: Theriot's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Mitch Theriot  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Division D: Guidry-Whipple vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Tanner Magee  (Republican Party)
• Steve Miller  (Republican Party) ✔

First Circuit Second District

Subdist. 1, Division B: McDonald vacancy

General election candidates

• Donald Johnson  (Democratic Party)
• Hunter Greene  (Republican Party) ✔

Primary candidates

• Hunter Greene  (Republican Party) ✔
• Beau Higginbotham  (Republican Party)
• Donald Johnson  (Democratic Party) ✔

First Circuit Third District

Division B: McClendon's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Page McClendon  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Division D: Wolfe's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Elizabeth Wolfe  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Second Circuit First District

Elec. Sect. 1C: Hunter's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Marcus Hunter  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Elec. Sect. 2B: Moore vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Daniel Ellender  (Republican Party) ✔

Second Circuit Third District

Elec. Sect. 2B: Pitman's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Frances Pitman  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Elec. Sec. 2C: Garrett vacancy (special election)

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Craig Marcotte  (Republican Party) ✔
• Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett  (Republican Party)

Third Circuit First District

Division A: Pickett's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Elizabeth A. Pickett  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔

Third Circuit Second District

Elec. Sect. 2B: Ezell vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• H. Guy Bradberry  (Republican Party) ✔
• Clayton Davis  (Republican Party)

Third Circuit Third District

Elec. Sec. 1C: Ortego's seat

Regular election

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Gary J. Ortego  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Special election

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Gary J. Ortego  (Republican Party) ✔

Elec. Sect. 2D: Cooks vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Valerie Gotch Garrett  (Democratic Party)
• Ledricka Johnson Thierry  (Democratic Party) ✔

Elec. Sect. 3E: Conery vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Wilbur Stiles  (Republican Party) ✔

Fourth Circuit At-large

McKay vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Joseph Cao  (Republican Party)
• Karen K. Herman  (Democratic Party) ✔
• Marie Williams  (Democratic Party)

Did not make the ballot:

• Paul N. Sens

Fourth Circuit First District

Division A: Lombard vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Nakisha Ervin-Knott  (Democratic Party) ✔

Division B: Chase's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Tiffany Gautier Chase  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Division D: Woods vacancy (special election)

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Rachael Johnson  (Democratic Party) ✔

Division H: Jenkins' seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Sandra Cabrina Jenkins  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Fifth Circuit First District

Election Section 1, Div. D: Chehardy's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Susan M. Chehardy  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Election Section 1, Div. E: Windhorst's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Stephen J. Windhorst  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Election Section 1, Div. F: Lilijeberg's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Hans J. Liljeberg  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Election Section 1, Div. G: Molaison's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• John J. Molaison Jr.  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Fifth Circuit Third District

Division A: Chaisson's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Robert A. Chaisson  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Judges not on the ballot

First Circuit Court of Appeals

• Vanessa Guidry-Whipple (First District, Division D)
• J. Michael McDonald (Second District, Division B)

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

• Milton Moore (First District, Section 2B)
• Jeanette Garrett (Third District, Section 2C)

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

• Billy Ezell (Second District, Section 2B)
• John Saunders (Third District, Section 1C)
• Sylvia Cooks (Third District, Section 2D)
• John Conery (Third District, Section 3E)

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

• James McKay (At-large)
• Edwin Lombard (First District, Division A)
• Regina Bartholomew Woods (First District, Division D)

2021

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2021

A special election for two seats on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal was held in 2021. A primary was scheduled for March 20. The filing deadline was January 22, 2021. Elections to the court are partisan, and a full term is 10 years.

Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. If needed, a general election was held on April 24, 2021.

2020

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of 12 Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal justices expired on December 31, 2020. The 12 seats were up for partisan election on December 5, 2020. A primary was scheduled for November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is 10 years.

A special election was also held on July 11, 2020, to fill a vacant seat on the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District. The vacancy was created after William J. Crain (R) was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court on November 16, 2019.

Candidates and election results

First Circuit Court of Appeals

Second District
Subdist. 1, Div. A: Higginbotham vacancy

General election candidates

• Melanie Newkome Jones  (Democratic Party) 
• Christopher Hester  (Republican Party) ✔

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Primary candidates

• Christopher Hester  (Republican Party) ✔
• Johanna Landreneau  (Republican Party) 
• Melanie Newkome Jones  (Democratic Party) ✔ 

Did not make the ballot:

• Toni M. Higginbotham (Incumbent)

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Subdist. 2, Div. D: Guidry's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• John Guidry  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Third District
Div. D (special election)

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District

Elizabeth Wolfe defeated Richard A. Swartz Jr. in the general election for Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal 3rd District on July 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Elizabeth Wolfe (R)	55.3	40,786
	Submit photo	Richard A. Swartz Jr. (R)	44.7	32,978

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,764
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Second District
Election Section 2: Thompson's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Jeff Thompson  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Third District
Election Section 2C: Garrett's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Jeanette Garrett  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔
• Trina Chu  (Independent)

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Second District
Elec. Sec. 1C: Thibobeaux vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

• Ronald F. Ware  (Democratic Party)
• Sharon Wilson  (Democratic Party) ✔

Third District
Elec. Sec. 5A: Keaty vacancy

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Charlie Fitzgerald  (Republican Party) ✔

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

At-large: Belsome's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Roland L. Belsome  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

First District
Division F: Atkins' seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Dale Atkins  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Division G: Ledet's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Rose Ledet  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Second District
Division A: Lobrano's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Joy Cossich Lobrano  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Third District
Division A: Dysart's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Daniel L. Dysart  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

First District
Elec. Sec. 1, Division B: Wicker's seat

General election candidates

The general election was canceled.

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate was elected:

• Fredericka Homberg Wicker  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔

Second District
Division A: Gravois' seat

General election candidates

• Jude G. Gravois  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
• Sharrolyn Jackson Miles  (Democratic Party) 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Primary candidates

• Jude G. Gravois  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
• Sharrolyn Jackson Miles  (Democratic Party) ✔ 
• Rob Snyder  (Democratic Party)

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Judges not on the ballot

First Circuit Court of Appeals

• Toni M. Higginbotham (2nd Dist., Subdist. 1, Div. A)

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

• Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux (2nd Dist., Elec. Sec. 1C)
• Phyllis M. Keaty (3rd Dist., Elec. Sec. 5A)

2019

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2019

A special primary election for the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District was held on March 30, 2019, to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Chief Judge Henry Brown. A general election would have been held on May 4, 2019, if no candidate had received a majority of votes in the primary. The filing deadline was February 1, 2019.

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Jeff Thompson won election in the special primary for Louisiana 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal 2nd District.

2018

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

The terms of three Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal judges expired on December 31, 2018. All three stood for election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. A full term on the court is ten years.

Candidates and results

First Circuit Court of Appeals

First District

Primary candidates

• Ellen Doskey  (Independent)
• Walter I. Lanier III  (Republican Party) ✔

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

First District

Primary candidates

• James M. Stephens  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔
• Sharon Marchman  (Republican Party)

Second District

Primary candidates

• Jay B. McCallum  (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third District

Primary candidates

• Jonathan Perry  (Republican Party) ✔

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

First District

Primary candidates

• Paula Brown  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

First District

Primary candidates

• John J. Molaison Jr.  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Special election

Two Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal races occurred on March 24, 2018. The filing deadline was January 5, 2018.

Second Circuit, 2nd District

This special election was scheduled to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Harmon Drew.

■ Jay B. McCallum (No party)

Fourth Circuit, 1st District

This special election was scheduled to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Madeleine M. Landrieu.

■ Dale Atkins
■ Robin D. Pittman

Ethics

The Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Louisiana. It consists of seven canons:

• Canon 1: A judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary
• Canon 2: A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities
• Canon 3: A judge shall perform the duties of office impartially and diligently
• Canon 4: Quasi-Judicial Activities: A judge may engage in quasi-judicial activities to improve the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice
• Canon 5: Extra-Judicial Activities: A judge shall regulate extra-judicial activities to minimize the risk of conflict with judicial duties
• Canon 6: A judge may accept reasonable compensation and expenses for quasi-judicial and extra-judicial activities; a judge may not accept gifts, loans, bequests, benefits, favors or other things of value except under restricted circumstances; a judge must report compensation, gifts, loans, bequests, benefits, favors and other things in some circumstances
• Canon 7: A judge or judicial candidate shall refrain from inappropriate political and campaign activity

The full text of the Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Louisiana may be removed in one of two ways:

• By the Louisiana Supreme Court after recommendation from the Louisiana Judiciary Commission
• By a two-thirds vote of the Louisiana State Senate upon impeachment by the Louisiana House of Representatives

Jurisdiction

There are five circuit courts of appeal in Louisiana, with jurisdiction for the following parishes.

Court	Parishes	Number of Parishes
First	Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana	16
Second	Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Red River, Richland, Tensas, Union, Webster, West Carroll, Winn	20
Third	Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, La Salle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion, Vernon	21
Fourth	Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard	3
Fifth	Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist	4

Constitution

Over time, constitutional amendments, new constitutions and legislative acts have changed the organization and jurisdiction of the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Constitution of 1879

Courts of appeal were created by the Constitution of 1879 to relieve the congested docket of the Supreme Court. This constitution provided for the creation of six courts of appeal in the state. One of these courts was designated as the court of appeal for the Orleans Parish, and it was vested with jurisdiction in appeals only from that parish. The rest of the state was divided into five circuits, with a court of appeal created for each. The First Circuit was composed of 14 parishes located in the northwestern portion of the state; the Second Circuit included parishes in the northeastern part; the Third Circuit was composed of parishes in the central and southwestern part of the state; the Fourth Circuit included the Florida parishes and those in the Baton Rouge area; and the Fifth Circuit covered the parishes along the Mississippi River and the sugar belt in South Louisiana.

These six courts of appeal each had two judges, with the provision that when both judges concurred their decision was to become final, but when they disagreed, the decision on appeal should be affirmed. This provision soon proved to be impracticable, so in 1884 the constitution was amended to provide that when the two judges on any court disagreed, they were required to appoint a lawyer with the qualifications of a judge for their circuit to aid in the determination of the case, and a judgment in which any two concurred should be final.

The courts created by the Constitution of 1879 existed for approximately twenty years, but growing public sentiment was that courts of appeal were too expensive and should be abolished. A constitutional convention was called in 1898; the three primary purposes of that convention being to prohibit lotteries, to make changes in the laws relating to suffrage, and to reform the judiciary. Most of the delegates to this convention recognized the need for some type of intermediate appellate court, but they felt that something had to be done to decrease the cost of litigation.

Constitution of 1898

Jurisdiction of the current courts

The Constitution of 1898 enlarged the Court of Appeal for the Parish of Orleans to three judges and provided that the territorial jurisdiction of that court should be increased to include appeals from the Parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, Plaquemine and St. Bernard, in addition to those from the Parish of Orleans. The courts of appeal in the rest of the state, however, were practically abolished as separate and distinct courts. Article 99 provided that the five courts of appeal which existed in the rest of the state should remain as then constituted until the first day of July 1900. From that day until July 1, 1904, each of said courts was to consist of the court of appeal judge whose term had not expired and one district judge designated by the Louisiana Supreme Court. No other circuit court judges were to be elected, and after July 1, 1904, the five courts of appeal outside of Orleans Parish were to be composed of two district judges to be from time to time designated by the supreme court and assigned to the performance of duties of judges of said courts of appeal.

The provisions of the 1898 Constitution abolishing most of the courts of appeal as separate courts also proved to be unworkable, so by amendments to the constitution adopted on November 6, 1906, another important change was made. A three-judge Court of Appeal for the Parish of Orleans was continued, but the jurisdiction of that court was further enlarged to include appeals from the Parishes of St. James and St. John the Baptist, in addition to the five parishes already included in the jurisdiction of that court. The rest of the state was divided into two circuits, each with its own three-judge court of appeal. The First Circuit consisted roughly of all parishes in the southern half of the state, except for the seven parishes included in the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal for the Parish of Orleans; and the Second Circuit included all parishes in the northern half of the state. The judges of these new courts were elected on January 16, 1907, for terms beginning on March 1, 1907. The three courts of appeal created at that time existed until July 1, 1960.

The courts since 1960

The Constitution of 1921 was amended, effective July 1, 1960, to realign the territorial jurisdictions of the courts of appeal and to create an additional court of appeal. The First Circuit, domiciled in Baton Rouge, consisted of 16 parishes in the southeastern part of the state, excluding the New Orleans metropolitan area. The Second Circuit, domiciled in Shreveport, consisted of 20 parishes in the northern part of the state. The Third Circuit, domiciled in Lake Charles, consisted of 21 parishes in the southwestern part of the state. The Fourth Circuit, domiciled in New Orleans, consisted of seven parishes in the metropolitan area. The First, Third, and Fourth Circuits consisted of five judges each, and the Second Circuit had four judges. The courts of appeal had civil jurisdiction only.

Over the years, additional judgeships were added to the existing circuits. In 1980, the Constitution was amended to add criminal jurisdiction to the courts of appeal, effective July 1, 1982. With the addition of criminal jurisdiction to the courts of appeal, the Fourth Circuit was split into the Fourth and Fifth Circuits with the Fourth Circuit domiciled in New Orleans and composed of the Parishes of Orleans, Plaquemine and St. Bernard. The Fifth Circuit was domiciled in Gretna and composed of the Parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist. The First Circuit has 12 judges sitting, the Second Circuit has nine judges sitting, the Third Circuit has 12 judges sitting, the Fourth Circuit has 12 judges sitting and the Fifth Circuit has eight judges sitting.

State profile

Demographic data for Louisiana
	Louisiana	U.S.
Total population:	4,668,960	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	43,204	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	62.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	32.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.6%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	1.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	83.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	22.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$45,047	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	23.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Louisiana

Louisiana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

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• Elections in Louisiana
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See also

Louisiana	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Louisiana Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal Louisiana Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Louisiana	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Louisiana Court of Appeals, "First Circuit"
• Louisiana Court of Appeals, "Second Circuit"
• Louisiana Court of Appeals, "Third Circuit"
• Louisiana Court of Appeals, "Fourth Circuit"
• Louisiana Court of Appeals, "Fifth Circuit"

Footnotes

Louisiana courts

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Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana

State courts:

Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts

State resources:

Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana