§734. Violations; judicial relief; prima facie proof

A. Upon a violation of R.S. 29:732, the attorney general, district attorney, or parish attorney may bring the appropriate judicial action for an order enjoining or restraining commission or continuance of the alleged unlawful acts. In the event, the district court of proper venue is not operational due to the declared state of emergency, the action shall be brought in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court in the parish of East Baton Rouge or the operating judicial district court located closest in geographic distance thereto. In any such proceeding, the court may impose a civil penalty and, where appropriate, order restitution to aggrieved consumers.

B. In any proceeding instituted pursuant to this Section, the following shall constitute prima facie proof of a violation:

(1) Evidence that the amount charged represents a gross disparity between the price of the goods or services which were the subject of the transaction and their value, measured by the price at which such goods or services were sold or offered for sale by the merchant in the usual course of business immediately prior to the onset of the abnormal disruption of the market, and the amount charged by the merchant was not attributable to additional costs imposed by its suppliers.

(2) Evidence that the amount charged grossly exceeded the price at which the same or similar goods or services were readily obtainable by other consumers in the trade area and the amount charged by the merchant was not attributable to additional costs imposed by its suppliers.

C. In addition to the civil penalties provided herein, any person who violates the provisions of R.S. 29:732, which violation is deemed a violation also of R.S. 14:329.6, shall be subject to criminal penalties as provided in R.S. 14:329.7.

Acts 1993, No. 800, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 2006, No. 610, §1, eff. June 23, 2006.