How the Guardian reported on Louisiana’s justice of the peace courts

Eviction records at Judge Chuck Cusimano II’s court in Harahan, Louisiana, on 17 August 2026. Photograph: Annie Flanagan/The Guardian/Guardian Design

In Louisiana, justices of the peace are locally elected part-time judges who perform weddings and handle small claims, wage garnishments and, frequently, evictions.

They often hold court in ad hoc rooms around the state and, under state law, they are allowed to accept hearsay evidence. And importantly, for renters facing eviction across Louisiana, justices of the peace get to keep, as personal income, a portion of the money the court collects in fees.