A bipartisan group of Louisiana state legislators has announced plans to address what they characterize as structural problems within the state’s justice of the peace court system, following an investigation published earlier this month. The inquiry documented concerns regarding due process protections in courts that handle thousands of evictions annually, as well as other civil and small claims matters.
The investigation revealed that Louisiana’s justice of the peace courts generate revenue through filing fees that directly compensate individual justices. According to the reporting, one justice earned in excess of $400,000 in 2025, primarily from eviction filing fees—an amount that exceeds the salary of the chief justice of the United States. Five justices collectively earned more than $220,000 in filing fee income during at least one year between 2023 and 2025. Legal experts quoted in the investigation assert that this funding structure creates perverse incentives for justices to favor repeat filers, such as landlords, potentially compromising due process protections for tenants.
State House member Jerome Zeringue, a Republican serving on the judiciary committee, stated that the compensation levels appear problematic and warrant legislative examination. He noted concerns about qualification standards, as justices of the peace are not required to hold law licenses and need only a high school diploma and good moral character designation. Democratic House leaders Kyle Green and Edmond Jordan, along with State Senate member Royce Duplessis, similarly expressed concerns about inherent conflicts of interest within the system. Zeringue indicated he is considering drafting reform legislation ahead of the state legislative session scheduled for April.
One justice whose court processed over 5,500 eviction cases during a recent 12-month period disputed characterizations of bias, stating he performs equivalent work to other justices and that landlord fees are paid regardless of case outcomes. The New Orleans area, notably the only Louisiana jurisdiction without justice of the peace courts—having abolished the system in 1879—has drawn comparisons from reform advocates. State legislators emphasized concerns about due process protections and the absence of formal evidentiary standards in these courts, particularly given Louisiana’s status as one of the poorest states amid ongoing national housing challenges.
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