By: Rob Masson | fox8live.com | May 15, 2026
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The state Senate is expected to vote early next week on a bill that could eliminate as many as six judgeships in Orleans Parish.
State lawmakers who support the bill say bigger cities than New Orleans handle more cases with fewer judges, but others say the effort is ill-informed.
The bill would cut judges in criminal, civil and juvenile courts and applies only to Orleans Parish.
This is another measure by Sen. Jay Morris of West Monroe that gives the feeling they are being unfairly targeted. The bill was set to be voted on in the Senate this afternoon, but has been held up due to heated debate over congressional redistricting.
Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Simone Levine is among many involved in the Orleans court system, watching closely as lawmakers consider a plan to eliminate as many as seven New Orleans judgeships. If three sitting judges decide not to seek re-election, Levine’s criminal court district seat could be eliminated if the governor ultimately signs the bill into law.
“I think they should’ve conferred with the judges here in criminal court before they decided to eliminate our judges. That would cause a public safety problem here on the streets in New Orleans,” Levine said.
Rafael Goyeneche, head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, has studied Orleans judicial efficiency for nearly 30 years and questions judicial cuts without a site visit.
But he says if the cuts go through and courts back up, Orleans could get help.
“There is a safety net that no one’s talking about that’s available if these cuts go into place. It would allow the local system, judges, or the DAs office to request from the Louisiana Supreme Court ad hoc judges to be appointed to help with the backlog,” Goyeneche said.
Otherwise, he says, cutting criminal court judgeships could cause the jail population to swell as prisoners languish in a full jail awaiting slower-moving trials.
Judge Levine is among a handful of judges who put proceedings online for anyone who may question the work being conducted in her courtroom.
Veteran attorney Greg Carter says he believes Orleans is being unfairly targeted.
“I practice in every courthouse in the state. When you go in early the hallways are empty just like in Orleans Parish, but if you come here at 9 o’clock in the morning when dockets get started, every single judge is on the bench,” Carter said.
“We reached out to Orleans juvenile and civil courts for comment and await a response.”