Performance Report- Louisiana Supreme Court

Performance of the District Courts

Fiscal Year 2016 - 2017

Campaign 1: Provide Adequate Access to Justice

Objective

OBJECTIVE B: THE TRIAL COURT PROCESS

Intent of the Objective

Responses To Objective

Your court facilitated expedited trials.
If your court facilitated expedited trials, please check or describe all the means you used:
Your court identified opportunities to reduce litigation costs.
If your court identified opportunities to reduce litigation costs, please describe those opportunities.
Your court used uniform procedures for in forma pauperis (IFP) processing.
Unbundling: Your court authorized lawyers to perform tasks for parties without incurring an obligation to continue representation that requires judicial permission to withdraw, as per La. District Court Rule 9.12.
Your court instituted electronic filing procedures.
If your court instituted electronic filing procedures, who has access to them?
If your court instituted electronic filing procedures, is there a cost to access them?
Please share any other strategies that you used or the details of the strategies above that you used to provide adequate access to justice through the trial process.
Please share any obstacles you encountered in providing adequate access to justice through the trial process and suggestions, if any, to overcome those obstacles.

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(Hover on the chart for more information and click on the chart to see which courts chose that response.)

Please share any obstacles you encountered in providing adequate access to justice through the trial process and suggestions, if any, to overcome those obstacles.

9th JDC	The court continued to be challenged by the District Attorney's use of pre-trial interventions, not only due to the loss of funds but also in who get access to the sweetheart arrangements.
10th JDC	Often, self-represented litigants request a continuance to hire an attorney, however, after granting the continuance, they are still not able to hire counsel.
16th JDC	The St. Martin Parish Family Court Program encountered obstacles in explaining that the court cannot provide legal advice and in the payment of fees for filing documents. These obstacles were overcome by directing court users to the Lafayette Bar, Clerk of Court, Acadiana Legal Services, Self-Represented Litigants Campaign information and signs, and battered women's shelter for resources.
25th JDC	At this time, the court is financially unable to provide many of these services.
33rd JDC	The recent changes to the summary judgment laws presented complications with scheduling the hearings timely. To alleviate this obstacle, the court revised its standard pre-trial orders.
Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court	Case types are complex and thus difficult to explain to the public without providing legal advice.
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court	The court handles only criminal matters, and lawyers are given to all defendants that cannot afford counsel.