§1347. Commissioners of magistrate section

A.(1) In addition to the judgeships, including the judge of the magistrate section of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans, the four offices of commissioner of said court created under R.S. 13:1347, Act No. 548 of the 1974 Regular Session as amended by the Louisiana Legislature are hereby approved, confirmed, ratified, affirmed, and validated in the magistrate section of said court. The persons appointed to the offices of commissioner created by this Section shall be known as commissioners and shall not be judges, but shall have the same qualifications, powers, duties, jurisdiction, and functions, all as is now or hereafter provided for the judge in the magistrate section of said criminal district court.

(2) The salary of the commissioners of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans shall be fifty-five percent of the salary paid to a judge of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans per annum, said salary and related benefits as provided for by law, to be payable in the same manner and from the same sources as the salary and benefits of a judge of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans. The support services and personnel including minute clerks and stenographers, as shall be necessary for the offices of commissioner, and such supporting services and personnel shall be paid in the same amount and from the same source as the same positions in the criminal district court are paid.

(3) The judges of the criminal district court, sitting en banc, shall determine the further powers, duties, functions, and policy affecting the offices of commissioner, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Section.

B. The initial appointments by the governor of the three commissioners created in R.S. 13:1347, Act No. 548 of the 1974 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, are hereby approved, confirmed, ratified, continued, validated, and affirmed and said appointment shall be for a term of six years from the date thereof.

C. Should there be a vacancy created by the removal, resignation or death of any commissioner, the judges of the criminal district court sitting en banc shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term. At the termination of the initial term and or any subsequent terms of a commissioner, the judges of the criminal district court sitting en banc shall appoint successors to the office for like terms. All commissioners are subject to removal for any reason for which a judge of the criminal district court may be removed from office. Such removal shall be by order of the judges of the criminal district court sitting en banc, after notice and hearing. No one shall serve in the office of commissioner unless he has practiced law in the state of Louisiana for a period of not less than five years. Commissioners shall be allowed to practice civil law but shall not engage in the practice of criminal law.

D. There is hereby created an additional commissioner of the Criminal District Court of the parish of Orleans. The commissioner shall have the same qualifications, powers, duties, jurisdiction, and functions all as is now or hereafter provided for the other commissioners in the magistrate section of said criminal district court.

(1) The commissioner shall receive an annual salary which shall be fifty-five percent of the salary paid to a judge of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans per annum, said salary and related benefits as provided for by law, to be payable in the same manner and from the same sources as the salary and benefits of a judge of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans, payable by the state on his own warrant. He shall otherwise be subject to the provisions of this Section.

(2) The judges of the Criminal District Court of the parish of Orleans sitting en banc, shall make the initial appointment of the additional commissioner of the Criminal District Court of the parish of Orleans for a term of six years. The commissioner shall be subject to removal for the same reasons and in the same manner as other commissioners of the criminal district court. Further, a vacancy created by death, resignation, or removal shall be filled as provided in Subsection C of this Section.

E. No commissioner of the magistrate section of the Criminal District Court for Orleans Parish shall practice law before said court.

F. The annual salary of the minute clerk of each commissioner to be paid by the state of Louisiana out of the state general fund is hereby fixed at thirteen thousand one hundred sixty-three dollars per annum, payable monthly by the state treasurer upon the warrant of said minute clerks.

G. The annual salary of the stenographer of each commissioner to be paid by the state of Louisiana out of the state general fund is hereby fixed at nine thousand nine hundred twenty-three dollars per annum, payable monthly by the state treasurer upon the warrant of said stenographers.

Acts 1974, No. 548, §1; Acts 1975, No. 594, §1, eff. July 17, 1975; Acts 1978, No. 39, §23, eff. June 1, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 236, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1979; Acts 1979, No. 724 §1; Acts 1980, No. 169, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1980; Acts 1981, No. 636, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981; Acts 1984, No. 620, §1; Acts 1990, No. 271, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 2001, No. 279, §1; Acts 2006, No. 621, §19(A), eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, No. 675, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 873, §1, eff. July 9, 2008; Acts 2011, No. 340, §2, eff. June 29, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 474, §4(B)(2).