2009 Session

The 2009 Legislative session contained numerous bills relating to traffic ticket revenue and court costs. The legislature requested fiscal impact statements on numerous instruments. The Louisiana Public Defender Board suffered a 5% budget cut and is determining how its financial status will be affected by other legislation.

HB 1/Act 10 (Rep. Fannin): The Legislature appropriated $27,879,151.00 to the Louisiana Public Defender Board through its Public Defender Fund, Indigent Parent Representation Program Fund, and DNA Testing-Post Conviction Relief for Indigents Fund.

Direct link:http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=666370

HB 574/Act 215 (Rep. Richmond): This bill authorizes any district court by vote of the judges to adopt specialized divisions or sections having specified subject matter jurisdiction; to authorize a division to provide for an expedited docket for violent crimes involving a dangerous weapon or homicides; to create a homicide section in the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans; to authorize the district attorney's office to request an expedited docket for cases involving crimes of violence committed with a dangerous weapon and homicides; to provide for assignment of a judge to a Homicide Section of the Criminal District Court for the parish of Orleans; to provide for cases to be assigned to a homicide section; to authorize the judges en banc to assign other crimes committed using a firearm to the homicide section; to provide for transfer of cases; to provide for expedited handling of pretrial writs and appeals from the homicide section; and to provide for related matters.

Direct link:http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=667503