Orleans Criminal Court to Shrink to 9 Judges
Louisiana's law cutting three judgeships takes effect January 1, 2027, after all 12 incumbents face the November midterm elections.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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Orleans Parish criminal court will shrink from 12 judges to 9 on January 1, 2027. A law cutting three judgeships passed the House 62-34 and was upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court in July.
Why it matters
The reduction targets what supporters called waste in the Orleans Parish court system, at a time when nearly a third of felony cases opened in 2024 had been pending for more than a year. Judges will have to improve efficiency to handle caseloads with fewer members.
All 12 Orleans criminal court justices are up for reelection on Nov. 3, 2026, and Judge John Fuller has announced he will not seek another term. The three judgeships cut by the law are scheduled to be eliminated when the court reduces to nine seats on January 1, 2027.
The players
Louisiana Supreme Court
The state's highest court, which upheld the law reducing the Orleans Parish criminal court.
Judge John Fuller
An Orleans criminal court judge who announced he will not seek reelection in the November midterms.
The details
Two incumbents face challengers who were their colleagues until the 2026 legislative session. The bill was amended in conference committee two days before the session ended, swapping Section I Judge Leon Roché for District E Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglass, and was presented on the final day of the session.
Timeline
June 2026: Law cutting three criminal court judgeships takes effect.
July 2026: Louisiana Supreme Court upholds the law shrinking the court system.
Nov. 3, 2026: Midterm elections for all 12 criminal court justices.
January 1, 2027: Criminal court downsizes from 12 to 9 judges.
Legal Context
The reduction follows a legislative package that supporters framed as cutting waste in the Orleans Parish court system. Its effect will be tested against a backlog in which nearly a third of 2024 felony cases had been pending more than a year, well beyond the American Bar Association's one-year best-practice standard.
Residents of Orleans Parish will have nine criminal court judges instead of twelve beginning January 1, 2027, which could affect how quickly felony cases move through the system. Voters choosing among the November candidates will be deciding who sits on a smaller bench.
The takeaway
Voters in Orleans Parish should review the November candidates for criminal court, since the bench shrinks to nine seats in 2027. Tracking pending case counts will show whether the reduced court can meet the one-year standard.
What happens next
All 12 Orleans criminal court justices face voters on Nov. 3, 2026, and the court reduces to nine judges on January 1, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Criminal Justice in Louisiana.
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