Court Opinion

ID: 9387438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-17 22:04:35.294847+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:13.550437
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOU'ISIANA          I

     COURT OF APPEAL, F1IRST CIRCUIT   1

                                       I

J. MITCHELL OURSO, JR.                         NO.   2023 CW 0341
VERSUS
LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS                      APRIL 17, 2023

In Re:    Louisiana Board of Ethics, applying for       supervisory
          writs,   18th  Judicial DisLrict  Court,       Parish  of
          Iberville, No. 82077.

BEFORE:   WELCH, PENZATO, AND LANIER, JJ.

      WRIT GRANTED WITH ORDER. The trial court's March 13, 2023
ruling denying the Louisiana Board ,of Ethics' exception of
improper venue is reversed. Venue fGr suits filed against a
state agency shall be instituted befdre the district court of
the judicial district in which the state capitol is located or
in the district court having jurisdiction        in the parish in
which the cause of action arises. L~. R. S. 13: 5104 (A) .      The
state capitol is located in Baton Rouge, in the 19 th Judicial
District.    For venue purposes, in determining the parish in
which the cause of action arises, courts look to the parish
where the operative facts occurred that support plaintiff's
entitlement to recovery. Colvin v. touisiana Patient's Comp.
Fund Oversight Bd., 200 6-1104 (La. 1/17 /07), 94 7 So. 2d 15, 27.
J. Mitchell Ourso challenges a decision of the Louisiana Board
of Ethics that he violated the Campaigp Finance Disclosure Act,
which    decision  was  made   in  East    Baton   Rouge   Parish.
Furthermore, the alleged unlawful expenditure of campaign funds
occurred in East Baton Rouge Parish pursuant to the bill of
sale.   Accordingly, the Louisiana Board of Ethics' exception of
improper venue is granted and this case', is remanded to the trial
court with instructions to transfer this matter to the 19th
Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge.

                                 JEW
                                 AHP
                                 WIL

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

    DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
        FOR THE COURT