La. Code. Jud. Cond., Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct

As amended through October 31, 2024

Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct

All elected judges and anyone, whether or not a lawyer, who is an officer of a court of record performing judicial functions, including an officer such as a judge ad hoc, judge pro tempore, referee, special master, court commissioner, judicially appointed hearing officer, or magistrate, and anyone who is a justice of the peace, is a judge for the purpose of this Code. All judges shall comply with this Code.

A.Part-Time Judge. A part-time judge is a judge who serves on a continuing or periodic basis, but is permitted by law to devote time to some other profession or occupation and whose compensation for that reason is less than that of a full-time judge.

A part-time judge:

(1) is exempt from Canons 5C(2), 5D, and 5E;

(2) shall not practice law in the court on which he or she serves or in any court subject to the appellate jurisdiction of the court on which he or she serves, or act as a lawyer in a proceeding in which he or she has served as a judge or in any other proceeding related thereto.

B. Pro Tempore and Ad Hoc Judges. A judge pro tempore is a person who is appointed to act temporarily as a judge. A judge ad hoc is a person who is appointed to act with regard to a specific case or cases.

(1) While acting as such, a judge pro tempore or ad hoc is not required to comply with Canons 5C(2), 5C(3), 5D, and 5E.

(2) A person who has been a judge ad hoc or judge pro tempore shall not act as a lawyer in a proceeding in which he or she has served as a judge or in any other proceeding related thereto.

C.Retired Judge. A retired judge is not governed by the provisions of this Code, except when sitting by assignment, and then the judge shall be subject to the rules applicable to judges pro tempore and ad hoc.

D.Judicially Appointed Hearing Officers. Judicially appointed hearing officers are required to comply with all canons of the Code except Canons 5C(2), 5D, and 5E.

La. Code. Jud. Cond., Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct

Added Oct. 31, 1975, effective Jan. 1, 1976; Amended Oct. 29, 1982; Amended and effective June 3, 1993; amended July 3, 1996, effective July 8, 1996. amended May 28, 1998, effective July 1, 1998; Amended effective2/1/2005; Amended effective 8/1/2008 amended effective 2/27/2019.

Committee on Judicial Ethics

To the end that these canons may be properly interpreted, and in order to provide a forum to receive inquiries from members of the judiciary related to the interpretation of these canons, the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics is hereby created. The function of this Committee shall be limited to the issuance of advisory opinions on its own motion or in response to inquiries from any judge insofar as these canons may affect the judge.

The Committee shall consist of eleven members, as follows:

(a) The Chief Justice and one other member of the Supreme Court;

(b) The Chairperson of the Conference of Court of Appeal Judges and one other Court of Appeal Judge;

(d) The President of the City Judges Association;

(e) One juvenile or family court judge;

(f) The Judicial Administrator; and

(g) The President of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

The members of said Committee shall be selected and appointed in the following manner and for the terms indicated:

(a) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall always be a member and shall be chairperson during his or her term of office as Chief Justice;

(b) The Supreme Court shall select an Associate Justice who shall serve for a term of two years;

(c) The Supreme Court shall select one district court judge and one juvenile or family court judge who shall serve for terms of two years;

(d) The Conference of Court of Appeal Judges shall select one member to serve on the Committee for two years;

(e) The District Judges Association shall select one member to serve on the Committee for two years;

(f) The Chairperson of the Conference of Court of Appeal Judges, the President of the District Judges Association, the President of the City Judges Association, the Judicial Administrator, and the President of the Louisiana State Bar Association shall, ex officio, be members of the Committee and shall serve during their respective terms of office.

The Judicial Administrator shall be Secretary of the Committee. The Committee shall make its own rules and select members to serve in such other offices as it creates.

The Committee shall act upon all inquiries as promptly as the nature of the case requires.