NEW ORLEANS, LA — Councilmember Lesli Harris issued a formal statement of opposition to the slate of bills advancing through the Louisiana Legislature, SB217 and HB911, that would eliminate judgeships by consolidating New Orleans' civil, criminal, and juvenile courts under a single judicial district.

Councilmember Harris is a licensed attorney with twenty-four years of practicing in the New Orleans legal system, including with preeminent law firms in the City. "I know what data driven reform looks like and this is not it," said Councilmember Lesli Harris. "These bills have no implementation plan, no transition timeline, and no honest data behind them. What they do have is a clear target. Seven of thirteen judges on Criminal District Court are Black women. Twelve of eighteen on Civil District Court are Black women. Two of the four judges in Juvenile Court are Black women. These judges were elected by the people of this City and bring expertise to the bench. To eliminate their seats without justification and without a plan is not about efficiency. It is an attack on Black women in the judiciary, and I refuse to be silent about it."

The bills propose the largest restructuring of New Orleans courts since 1879, yet neither the House nor Senate versions include any short- or long-term plan for execution. Orleans Parish courts handle nearly 20,000 cases annually, spanning criminal trials, civil litigation, adoptions, and juvenile proceedings. There is no framework for how active cases, personnel, court records, or buildings would be managed through a consolidation.

Councilmember Harris is urging New Orleans residents to contact their state legislators and demand the bills be rejected before they reach the full House and Senate floors. "The jurists on these benches earned their seats. The voters made their choices. Baton Rouge should not get to take that away," said Harris.