Court Opinion

ID: 9906733
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-05 00:04:19.980996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:52:49.967168
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

STATE       OF       LOUISIANA                                                                             NO.    2023        KW   1241

VERSUS

CHRISTOPHER                GRANT                                                                  DECEMBER               4,        2023

In    Re:             State           of        Louisiana,             applying              for       supervisory                 writs,

                      17th           Judicial          District            Court,          Parish           of    Lafourche,              No.

                      589557.

BEFORE:               WELCH,              HOLDRIDGE,            AND    WOLFE,          JJ.

        WRIT              DENIED. "              A     court          possesses                 inherently               all       powers

                           for        the            exercise            of          its        jurisdiction                  and         the
necessary
enforcement                    of    its        lawful          orders,         including              authority              to     issue

such        writs          and        orders          as    may       be      necessary              or     proper        in       aid     of

its     jurisdiction.                       It        has       the        duty       to        require            that        criminal

proceedings                    shall        be       conducted           with         dignity              and     in    an        orderly
and     expeditious                   manner           and       to      so     control           the        proceedings              that

justice              is    done."           La.       Code        Crim.         P.     art.          17.         The    trial        court

should           exercise                  its        inherent             authority                 to         order         that        the

                          is                                      repaired                 to        guarantee            that            the
elevator                            expeditiously
courthouse                 provides              reasonable            accommodations                      to     any     individual

                                                to                                                                to     access           the
with        a        disability                       ensure           equal          opportunity
court' s         facilities.                     See      La.    R. S.        46: 2594( B)(          1).

        Holdridge                    J.,     dissents.             I       would       order          the         trial       court        to

conduct              the        trial           in    question             within           thirty           days.        While           the

court           is    required              to       ensure       that         reasonable                  accommodations                 are

made        for           all         jurors           and       users          of         the       court             that        have     a

                               the        trial                                                  the        District           Attorney
disability,                                           court       cannot             stop
from conducting criminal jury trials nor the people of Lafourche
Parish           from           having           the       right         to     criminal               justice.           The        trial

court           should              arrange          to     use       the      courtrooms                  in     the     courthouse

that        have          working          elevators             so      that        criminal              trials may be              held
in    the            Seventeenth                 Judicial          District                in    a     timely           manner.           All

judges           of       the        Seventeenth                Judicial             District              Court        should        work

together              so       that        criminal             justice         is     not       impeded           in    the        parish

by the lack of elevators at the annex.

COURT       OF       APPEAL,              FIRST       CIRCUIT

                                          LQL1
                                                  12 p
            EPUTY              CLERK       OF    COURT
                      FOR           THE    COURT