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.

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.

Although Judge Hines assumed office on May 9, 2023, her investiture took place on October 4, 2023. The event was the ceremonial transition to the office of District Court Judge.

The 19th Judicial District Court recognizes Chief Judge Donald R. Johnson who was recently honored at the 2023 American Judges Association’s (AJA) 62nd Annual Conference. Judge Johnson received the Judge Elliot Zide Judicial Educator Award for his significant contributions to Judicial Education.

State Justice Institute (SJI) has awarded the 19th JDC a $50,000 grant to assist with the costs associated with the implementation of its new Pretrial Services Program.