Compared to similarly sized states, Louisiana has the highest number of judges per capita – a total of 279 per about 4.6 million residents, or 6.1 judges for every 100,000 state residents, according to a new report from the Louisiana legislative auditor.
The report released last month by Auditor Mike Waguespack compared the Bayou State to the judicial landscapes in South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Oregon and Oklahoma. The populations of those states range from about 5.3 million to 4 million.
As of June, Louisiana had 219 general-jurisdiction trial/district judges as well as 53 appellate judges and seven state Supreme Court judges, the report – which was prepared in response to a legislative request – states.
“While other states have more judges, Louisiana has more judges per capita than states with similar populations,” the audit says. “However, this analysis does not factor in the caseloads of courts in each state.”
Louisiana’s 6.1 judges per 100,000 residents compares to a 2.5 judicial ratio for Kentucky and 1.2 judges per 100,000 in South Carolina. In Louisiana, the number of state Supreme Court justices is outlined in the state constitution, while the number of judges at the district and appellate level is determined by statute.
The Louisiana State Bar Association suggests that despite the state’s high per-capita number of judges, judicial workloads cannot be described as light.
“Our experience with the judges in Louisiana is that they work hard every day on behalf of those who seek access to justice,” the 2023-2024 association President, Shayna L. Sonnier, said in an email to the Louisiana Record. “ We respect them as intelligent, diligent, public servants for the citizens of Louisiana.”
Another section of the study examined the compensation provided to Louisiana judges compared to their counterparts in other states.
“As of Jan. 1, 2023, Louisiana salaries ranked 27th of 55 states and territories for general-jurisdiction trial judges, 17th of 51 for the adjusted cost-of-living salaries of general-jurisdiction trial court judges, 27th of 42 for intermediate appellate court judges and 28th of 55 for court-of-last-resort associate justices,” the audit reports.
Louisiana Supreme Court justices currently receive a salary of $168,949, while the chief justice earns $197,250.
The state is among three states, along with Georgia and Texas, that provide supplemental pay to judges, with judges at all levels receiving $950 per month in extra pay from the Judges’ Supplemental Compensation Fund to cover rising retirement costs, according to the report. In addition, the state reimburses judges for meals during official travel, paying $118 per day.
Like most other states, Louisiana judges are elected to their initial and subsequent terms. And like 23 other states, Louisiana depends on a judicial compensation panel to propose pay levels, the report says. Louisiana’s commission offers recommendations on judicial compensation every two years to the state Legislature.
The auditor’s study is based in part on research carried out by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), a nonprofit group that promotes the improvement of state court operations. The NCSC declined to comment on the Louisiana audit report.