ADDIS - The City of Addis is making a major change to its justice system. Instead of the mayor presiding over cases, a newly created magistrate court will now take over.

Mayor’s courts are common in small towns across Louisiana, but officials in Addis say the system has been under fire for years.

“Mayor’s court is always under attack. They feel like the mayor controls the budget and can assess fines,” Mayor David Toups said in a statement to WBRZ.

Under the new system, longtime town attorney Dana Larpenter will serve as magistrate. Larpenter, who recently retired after 48 years as attorney for Addis, said the idea has been on the table for years but gained traction as lawmakers ramped up criticism of mayor’s courts.

“The mayor and council talked to me, they’ve been wanting to establish a magistrate’s court, which is the same as really a mayor’s court, except the mayor doesn’t preside over it,” Larpenter explained. “An appointed magistrate would, and they asked me if I would be willing to do it.”

He added that legislative pressure helped move the city forward. “The last few years, probably since it kept coming up during the legislative agendas about maybe changing the nature of it,” he said.

State Representative Edmond Jordan was the first to push legislation in 2022 aimed at outlawing mayor’s courts altogether. Last week, the Addis Town Council unanimously approved the creation of the magistrate position.

“Addis has had the legislative authority to create that court for a number of years,” Larpenter said. “There was a special statute passed for many municipalities to do that, and Addis was one of them, but they’ve never elected to actually take that step till now.”

Larpenter said the change is a win for both the mayor and the town. “As far as the magistrate’s court, I think the mayor’s happy that it’s transitioning to that, as opposed to him sitting on the court,” he said.

Mayor Toups said he has always been fair but is excited about the change.

According to council discussion, the magistrate position will require about one day of work each month. The $500 monthly salary will be covered by existing court revenue, making it cost-effective and financially sustainable for the town.

The move in Addis also aligns with broader guidance for small towns in Louisiana. The Louisiana Judicial College advises towns with a mayor’s court to appoint someone other than the mayor to act as judge if court collections account for at least 10% of overall revenue.

In some towns, mayor’s courts bring in a substantial portion of the budget, but mayors still preside.