The Nineteenth Judicial District Court is one of Louisiana’s 42 judicial districts and has original jurisdiction of all civil and criminal matters in East Baton Rouge Parish. There are fifteen elected judges (Division A through Division O) in the Nineteenth Judicial District. There are also four commissioners for the Nineteenth Judicial District whom are selected by the judges of the Nineteenth Judicial District.
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Judges of the 19th Judicial District Court
pictured seated from left to right - Judge Tarvald A. Smith, Judge Beau Higginbotham, Judge Richard “Chip” Moore, Chief Judge Donald R. Johnson, Judge Wilson E. Fields, Judge Fred Crifasi, and Judge Kelly Balfour.
pictured standing from left to right - Judge Ronald Johnson, Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts, Judge William “Will” Jorden, Judge Eboni Johnson Rose, Judge Brad Myers, Judge Gail Horne Ray, Judge Louise Hines, and Judge Colette M. Greggs.
19th JDC News and Updates
In 2024, the 19th JDC initiated a Commissioners’ Court to assist the Judges with improved case flow. The impact of these changes has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to increased enhancements in 2025. One goal is to have all 4 Commissioners housed on one floor. This month, we are 75% closer to achieving this goal. In order to accomplish this feat, there has been some reshuffling of offices within the building.
On behalf of The Honorable Judge Ronald Johnson and the 19th JDC Veterans Treatment Court, we would like to thank each and every Veteran for their valor, service, and dedication to our country. Your sacrifice to serve as our nation’s heroes will always be honored, appreciated, and respected.
Happy Veterans Day.
The Judges of the 19th Judicial District Court invited legislators from the Capital Area Delegation to an open house on September 30, 2024. The legislators in attendance were provided an overview of court operations that included greeting the 300 potential jurors summoned to appear on Monday mornings, observations of both civil and criminal court proceedings, and learning about the new programs of the 19th JDC’s Court Intervention Program (CIP). The programs that fall under CIP include Pretrial Services; Commissioners’ Court; Pretrial Diversion and Recovery; Recovery (Drug) Court; Veterans’ Treatment Court; Re-entry Court and Domestic Violence Court.
Tropical Storm Francine is developing in the western Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to become a hurricane as it tracks toward the Louisiana coast. The storm is expected to bring four to eight inches of heavy rainfall across the area primarily on Wednesday and Thursday.
The 19th Judicial District Court will be closed on Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12. The court will reopen on Friday, September 13 at 8:30 a.m.
The 19th Judicial District Court remains operational, and all court proceedings are unaffected.
As a result of server issues, there is no internet service at the court. This outage may cause delays in processing filings over the next week to ten days.. Your patience is appreciated as we work towards resuming normal operations.
Effective July 1, 2024, the Chief Judge for the 19th Judicial District Court is Judge Wilson E. Fields.
The 19th JDC makes a groundbreaking move toward improving the safety of the Baton Rouge community by launching a Domestic Violence Intervention Court Pilot program.
On May 17, 2024, during National Treatment Court Month, the 19th JDC Recovery Court Program celebrated the life, recovery, and determination of 14 graduating participants. In addition to successfully completing all graduation requirements, the participants have completed a combined total of 700 hours of community service within the Parish of East Baton Rouge.
One does not often think of a courthouse and art in the same thought, but on Thursday, April 18th, 2024, this courthouse introduced a new piece to its art collection. The 19th JDC and the Arts Council of Baton Rouge hosted an artist’s reception to honor artist Malaika Favorite. The installation consists of four separate mixed media panels entitled “We are Louisiana” and “We are the People #1, 2 and 3” and represent a sense of community that the court wishes to convey.
This month, the Baton Rouge Bar Association published an article in The Baton Rouge Lawyer providing an overview of the 19th Judicial District Court’s new Complex Litigation Section pilot program. In the article, Presiding Judge Wilson E. Fields shares the details involved in the collaborative planning process for this innovative program.
Scammers, claiming to be a law enforcement officer or 19th Judicial District Court staff member, have been contacting citizens and demanding payment of money or verification of personal information in order for the subject of the scam to avoid arrest.
On February 15, 2024, the 19th Judicial District Court held its Opening Ceremony for the Veterans Treatment Court. Led by the Honorable Donald R. Johnson, Chief Judge, and the Honorable Ronald R. Johnson, Presiding Judge, the mission of the Veterans Treatment Court is “to reduce the rate of recidivism by resolving criminal cases through treatment and support, to best serve the needs of the defendant by promoting sobriety, recovery, and stability, to best serve the victim, and preserve the safety of the community.”
The 19th JDC continues to explore ways to improve our community. Just last week, the 19th JDC installed AED devices on each floor of the courthouse. The devices are easily located in the lobby area of each floor on the western most column. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a medical device that can help people who are experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
On Thursday, February 1, 2024, the Veterans’ Treatment Court of the 19th JDC received a generous donation of flags from each branch of the military. American Legion Department Commander Byron Comeaux delivered the flags that will be displayed in Presiding Judge Ron Johnson’s courtroom. It was an honor for the VTC staff to participate in setting the flags for display.
It is with heavy hearts that the Court announces the passing of Attorney Robert Tucker, Sr. A dedicated professional and esteemed member of our legal community. His contributions will forever be remembered. Our sincere condolences to the Tucker family.
On January 18, 2024, friends, family, and colleagues gathered in the 11th floor courtroom at the 19th JDC for the investiture of the court’s most recently elected Judge - The Honorable Colette M. Greggs.
The 19th Judicial District Court will be CLOSED on January 16, 2024 due to the anticipated inclement winter weather that is expected in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The final budget of the 19th JDC received approval from the Metropolitan Council on December 12, 2023. This approval provides funding for two additional Commissioners beginning July 1, 2024.
Following many years of planning, the day finally arrived for the kick-off meeting for the 19th JDC’s Pretrial Services Program. This is Day 1 of the beginning, and although there is much work remaining this is an incredibly exciting and meaningful time for the court.
Judge Gail Ray held her rule day docket at the Southern University Law Center on Thursday, October 19, 2023, and Judge Ron Johnson held his docket on November 13, 2023. The Judges and their staff traveled to the Law Center where they conducted “business as usual” in the Law Center court room.
On October 30, 2023, Chief Judge Don Johnson, Judicial Administrator Diana Gibbens, and Chris Csonka, Executive Director of the CJCC presented to a group at the SafeBR meeting about Accountability and Transparency of the court.
