§2582. Justices of the peace; qualifications; election; term of office; nullity; persons ineligible

A.(1) Each justice of the peace shall be of good moral character, a qualified elector, a resident of the ward and district from which elected, and able to read and write the English language correctly. Each person qualifying for the office of justice of the peace shall possess a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by the date of qualification to run for office in the year 2008. Each shall possess such other qualifications as are provided by law.

(2)(a) Beginning in the year 2008, to qualify to run for the office of justice of the peace, a person shall not have attained the age of seventy years by the date of qualification to run for office. A justice of the peace who attains seventy years of age while serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office.

(b) The provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall not apply to those justices of the peace who are serving as a justice of the peace or elected to the office of justice of the peace on or before August 15, 2006.

B. Justices of the peace shall be elected at the congressional election for terms of six years by the qualified voters within the territorial limits of their jurisdiction. They shall take office on the first day of January following election.

C. The term of the justices of the peace in office on September 7, 1984 shall expire on December 31, 1990. Their successors shall be elected pursuant to Subsection B hereof.

D. The election of any person to the office of justice of the peace in violation of the provisions of R.S. 42:39.2 shall be null and void.

E. No person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of justice of the peace under the provisions of Article V, Section 22, of the Constitution of Louisiana shall be eligible as a candidate at the election to fill the vacancy or, if elected, shall be eligible to hold that office. If any person so appointed qualifies as a candidate to fill the vacancy for the office to which he was appointed, his qualification shall be null and void.

F. Notwithstanding Subsections B and C of this Section, the governing authority of St. Charles Parish shall call an election for justices of the peace on one of the dates specified in R.S. 18:402(F) that falls more than forty-five days after the date of the meeting at which the governing authority calls the election. The election shall be conducted according to the districts provided in R.S. 13:2614 and those elected shall serve for terms that expire on December 31, 2002. Their successors in office shall be elected pursuant to Subsection B of this Section.

Acts 1984, No. 219, §1; Acts 1985, No. 148, §1; Acts 1987, No. 247, §1; Acts 1987, No. 573, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1322, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 746, §1; Acts 2003, No. 264, §1; Acts 2006, No. 651, §1; Acts 2014, No. 495, §1; Acts 2015, No. 71, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 1985, No. 148, §2.