Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal

A court of appeal also has supervisory jurisdiction to review interlocutory orders and decrees in cases which are heard in the trial courts within their geographical circuits.

One unique feature of the Courts of Appeal of Louisiana is that they are able to review questions of fact, as well as questions of law, in civil cases.

[2] Parishes Included: Circuit Seat: First Circuit Courthouse (Baton Rouge) Parishes Included: Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, DeSoto, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Red River, Richland, Tensas, Union, Webster, West Carroll, Winn Circuit Seat: Second Circuit Courthouse (Shreveport) Parishes Included: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion, Vernon Circuit Seat: Third Circuit Courthouse (Lake Charles) Parishes Included: Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard Circuit Seat: Fourth Circuit Courthouse (New Orleans) Parishes Included: Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist Circuit Seat: Fifth Circuit Courthouse (Gretna) In May 2007, Jerrold Peterson, staff director for the court, wrote a letter alleging that, starting in 1994, criminal pro se petitions were not being reviewed by a panel of three judges as required by Louisiana law.

Instead, every pro se petition received a boilerplate response.

At least 5,000 petitions have been disregarded under this policy over a 12 year period.