Background
Hillar C. Moore, III, acting in his official capacity as District Attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish, sought supervisory review in litigation against the East Baton Rouge Parish Government, Metropolitan Council members, and the Mayor-President.
The district court granted the Parish’s exception of nonjoinder and ordered Moore to amend his petition. Moore sought writ review of those portions of the July 13, 2026 judgment.
The Court’s Holding
The First Circuit granted the writ, reversed the portions of the district court judgment granting the exception of nonjoinder and requiring amendment of the petition, and denied the exception.
Louisiana Revised Statute 16:6 imposes a mandatory duty on parish police juries to fund qualifying expenses incurred by district attorneys acting officially. Mandamus is an appropriate means to compel performance of that duty. Although East Baton Rouge Parish has no police jury, the court concluded that the statute likewise applies to its Metropolitan Council as the parish’s governing body. The statute does not apply to municipalities.
Key Takeaways
- La. R.S. 16:6 creates a mandatory funding duty for covered district-attorney expenses.
- Mandamus may compel the parish governing body’s performance of that funding duty.
- East Baton Rouge’s Metropolitan Council is subject to the statute in place of a police jury.
Why It Matters
The decision confirms that a parish governing body cannot avoid its statutory funding obligation to the district attorney’s office through the absence of a traditional police-jury structure. It also clears the procedural nonjoinder ruling that had required amendment of the district attorney’s petition.