Louisiana Legal Overview: Lake Charles The Lake Charles metropolitan area in Louisiana is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. Louisiana is divided into 40 judicial districts, with each district serving at least one parish. Cameron Parish is served by the 38th Judicial District Court while Calcasieu Parish is served by the 14th Judicial District Court. The district courts are the main trial courts with general jurisdiction. Listed below are the main cities and CDPs in the Lake Charles metro area.
Top Louisiana cities for Legal Issues: Lake Charles
1. The 14th Judicial District Court located in Lake Charles serves Calcasieu Parish and handles all the civil and criminal cases. It also has a separate Family and Juvenile Court. The Lake Charles City Court has limited jurisdiction not just over the city, but over all of Ward 3. The city court has jurisdiction over certain juvenile cases, along with traffic violations and misdemeanors. The city court also handles civil disputes not exceeding $25,000. The 38th Judicial District Court located in the city of Cameron serves Cameron Parish.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against trial court decisions in either parish must be filed with the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles. The Louisiana Supreme Court located in New Orleans may subsequently decide to review the appellate court’s verdict. Federal cases in either parish must be filed with the Lake Charles Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. All federal appeals in Louisiana are filed with the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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