Louisiana voters in March will decide whether lawmakers should be able to establish new state-run specialty courts outside of the traditional judicial system, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
The constitutional amendment, OK’d last week by both legislative chambers, is set to appear on the March 29 ballot, which also features amendments regarding the overhaul of the state’s tax system and a proposal to make it easier to send youth criminal offenders to adult prisons.
Lawmakers can only currently establish courts of “limited jurisdiction” within the boundaries of an existing state judicial district. The new amendment, if approved by voters, would allow state lawmakers to launch new regional or statewide courts to handle special issues.
Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, the bill’s sponsor, has said he brought the bill primarily to set up a specialty business court.
Complex business matters should be handled by judges with a certain level of expertise in those subjects, he says. Business disputes would be handled quicker as well as they would no longer have to compete with divorces and other civil matters on the docket.
