PART G, SECTION 12D SUPREME COURT GENERAL ADMIN. RULES

ORDER

Acting in accordance with Article V, Sections 1 and 5 of the 1974 Louisiana Constitution, Rule XXXIII of the Rules of this Court, and the inherent power of this Court, and considering the need to amend the reassignment rule in the Twenty-First Judicial District Court,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED THAT:

Part G, Section 12D of the Supreme Court General Administrative Rules be and is hereby amended to read as follows:

A. New Judgeships.

Courts who receive new judgeships through legislation may randomly reallot pending cases to the newly created section or division of court. Insofar as practicable, an equal number of pending cases shall be randomly reallotted from each existing division or section of court.

B. Reassignment of Pending Cases In the 15th Judicial District Court.

In the event the 15th Judicial District Court creates a Domestic Section of Court composed of Divisions "H" and "M", all pending criminal and civil cases in Divisions "H" and "M" may be randomly reassigned to the other eleven divisions of court, and all pending domestic cases in the eleven divisions of court other than Divisions "H" and "M" may be randomly reassigned to Divisions "H" and "M".

C. Reassignment of Pending Cases in Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans.

(1) In the event the judges of Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans create a third Domestic Relations Section of Court, all Division E cases may be reassigned by the clerk to the non-domestic divisions of court, excluding the Chief Judge's division, under the following procedure:

All cases ending in 0 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division A;

All cases ending in 1 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division B;

All cases ending in 2 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division C;

All cases ending in 3 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division D;

All cases ending in 4 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division F;

All cases ending in 5 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division G;

All cases ending in 6 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division J;

All cases ending in 7 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division K;

All cases ending in 8 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division M;

All cases ending in 9 may be reassigned by the clerk to Division N.

(2) All domestic cases may be reassigned by the clerk between Divisions E, I, and L as follows:

(a) To Division E — all domestic relations cases formerly in Domestic Relations Sections 1 and 3 whose docket numbers end in 1, 2 or 3, and all domestic relations cases formerly pending in Domestic Relations Section 3, whose docket numbers end in 4. This docket will be designated as Domestic Relations Section 2.

(b) To Division I — all domestic relations cases formerly pending in Domestic Relations Section 3, except those cases whose docket numbers end in 1, 2, 3 or 4.

(c) To Division L — all domestic relations cases formerly pending in Domestic Relations Section 1, except those cases whose docket numbers end in 1, 2 or 3.

In the event the 21st Judicial District Court establishes one juvenile division of court in accordance with Rule XXXIII of the Rules of this Court, 50% of the civil cases which are allotted to the juvenile division, and all of the adult criminal arraignments and adult misdemeanor cases which are allotted to the juvenile division, may be randomly reassigned to the non-juvenile.

In order to correct an imbalance of case assignments in the 22nd Judicial District Court, all active cases filed between October 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002 which were allotted to Division J may be randomly reassigned to the other nine divisions of court.

This Order shall become effective upon signing and shall remain in full force and effect thereafter, until amended or changed through future orders of this Court.

Adopted and effective Sept. 24, 1998; Amended and effective March 25, 1999, effective May 15, 2001, effective September 13, 2001, effective September 18, 2001, effective October 1, 2003, effective July 1, 2004.

This rule change shall become effective on July 1, 2004 and shall remain in full force and effect thereafter, until amended through future orders of this Court.

New Orleans Louisiana, this 25th day of June, 2004.

FOR THE COURT:

Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., Cheif Justice