New Orleans, LA – The Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court announced Wednesday that the work of the Court is continuing during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
Although the Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. Courthouse is currently closed due to the COVID pandemic, as a convenience to the public, the Court will immediately resume accepting filings brought in person to the courthouse at 400 Royal Street, New Orleans.
The Court will also continue to accept and process pleadings submitted by e-filing, and has waived the e-filing convenience fee. While maintaining the Court’s August 31, 2021 Order that noted the Supreme Court’s closure until September 19, 2021, and that all filings due during this period of closure shall be deemed timely filed if filed on or before Monday, September 20, 2021, judicial operations have in fact been ongoing.
“The work of the Court has continued during the aftermath of Hurricane Ida,” said Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer. “The seven Justices have continued to meet in regular conferences to handle emergency and administrative matters and to consider writ applications and other court business. Many court employees have continued to do their jobs remotely, even while evacuated.”
Oral arguments originally scheduled for September will be postponed until the week of October 18, 2021, and affected attorneys will be contacted with further information.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the many people of Louisiana, including my home parish of Lafourche, who were ravaged by Hurricane Ida,” commented Chief Justice John L. Weimer. “The devastation is widespread and shocking. In recent days I have traveled to most of the severely impacted areas. I have visited with judges and local officials and found them to be resilient and resolute to bring their communities back. We believe that one important way the Justices can contribute to this recovery is to continue our work, and we have done so without hesitation. We also thank the many judges throughout the area who have demonstrated their dedication and commitment to keeping the court system operational during this challenging time. In particular, thank you to the members of the Louisiana District Judges Association who have done a commendable job of assisting their colleagues in need.”
For more information visit lasc.org
