§1900. Traffic violations bureau

A. Except in the city of New Orleans, in any municipality in which a city court is operating which does not have a traffic violations bureau, the mayor or chief executive hereinafter referred to as "mayor", may establish, under his supervision, a traffic violations bureau and adopt the necessary rules and regulations for its operation and administration. The mayor of any municipality within which a traffic violations bureau created pursuant to Section 3 of Act No. 32 of the 1960 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature is operating may assume the responsibility of said traffic violations bureau. Any traffic violations bureau created pursuant to Section 3 of Act No. 32 of the 1960 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and existing on the effective date of this Section whose operations are not assumed by the mayor of that municipality may continue to operate under the supervision of the judge or judges of the city court under its present organization, functions and manner and sources of financing until such time as the operation of said traffic violations bureau is assumed by the mayor of that municipality.

B. The judge or mayor, as the case may be, having supervision over the traffic violations bureau is empowered to appoint one or more clerks who shall be charged with the administration of the bureau, and whose compensation shall be paid by the municipality, or by the municipality and parish, in such proportions as their respective governing authorities may designate, except that the compensation of each of the clerks shall not be less than two hundred dollars per month.

C. Any defendant may plead guilty and pay to the traffic violations bureau the fine for his traffic violation, which the bureau shall receive, in accordance with a schedule of fines which shall be established by the judge or judges of the city court in accordance with law. The schedule shall show in accordance with law the amount of fine for each offense listed therein. The bureau shall receive the plea of guilty for the court. Together with such fines received, the bureau shall collect costs which shall be fixed by the court in accordance with the law. The bureau shall collect forfeitures declared by the court in connection with traffic violations. All costs, fines and forfeitures shall be disposed of as provided by law.

D. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any city court in the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, Winn, Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Carroll, Madison, St. James, Red River, and Grant.

E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection D of this Section, the judge of the City Court of Plaquemine may establish a traffic violations bureau, under the supervision of the marshal of the court, as provided in this Section.

Added by Acts 1960, No. 32, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1961. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 491, §1; Acts 1983, No. 487, §1; Acts 1988, No. 293, §1; Acts 1989, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 4, §1.