Orleans criminal court bench cuts to nine after Nov. 3 elections

The Orleans Parish criminal court will operate with nine judges instead of twelve starting January 1, 2027. This reduction follows a legislative package signed into law in June, which removed three seats from the bench. The change is set to take effect after the November 3 midterm elections conclude.

The law was part of a broader effort to trim what supporters described as waste in the court system. Orleans Parish is the only jurisdiction in Louisiana with separate civil and criminal courts. The legislation was passed by the House with a 62-34 vote on the final day of the legislative session. Governor Jeff Landry signed the bill later that summer.

Originally, the bill targeted the three judges with the least seniority. A conference committee changed this two days before the session ended. The final version named District Judges A, E, and J specifically. This swap replaced Section I Judge Leon Roché with District E Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglass. Morris credited the governor's office and the Orleans delegation for the change. Committee members did not explain the reasoning behind the swap.

The reduction affects four current justices directly. Judge Simone Levine is running against incumbent Kimya Holmes for the Section D seat. Judge John Fuller announced he would not seek reelection after the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the shrinking law in July. Judge Leon Roché chose to run against incumbent Camille Buras for the Section H seat rather than face Goode-Douglass in the Section I race. Goode-Douglass is challenging Roché for the Section I position.

A report from the Metropolitan Crime Commission indicates the remaining judges must improve efficiency to handle the workload. Over the past two years, the twelve judges kept pace with caseloads and reduced backlogs. The median time to clear cases remained at seven months. However, nearly one-third of felony cases opened in 2024 had been pending for more than a year.

The American Bar Association standards suggest cases should be heard within a year. The report states there is room for improvement. It notes the challenge will increase as the court downsizes. Judges are also hearing more cases due to improved police investigations. The other seven incumbents won their primary elections.

The transition to nine judges will require each justice to manage their docket more effectively. The court system will absorb the caseload of the eliminated positions without adding new judicial seats. The efficiency targets set by the watchdog group will be the primary metric for the new bench size.