Long before the era of what many today call "big government," there was still a need to confront problems that faced a rambunctious and fast-growing New Orleans. The city relied upon the Recorders to administer swift justice.
At the beginning of the 19th century, New Orleans could be a rough and tumble port city. Drinking and gambling establishments were widespread.The Recorders were city officials who had the power to fine and imprison troublemakers, without the aid of a jury. In the 1840's, a Times-Picayune reporter frequently wrote colorful stories of the drunks and petty criminals being tried and sentenced to the calaboose by a recorder.
In the early twentieth century, the city used the Recorders Courts to enforce ordinances for public health. The city had dairy cows, slaughterhouses, and rendering plants, as well as brushes with tuberculosis and bubonic plague.
As automobiles became ubiquitous, traffic violations overwhelmed the courts. Soon the traffic division would be split off into its own court.
Whereas today we look to the State or to Federal agencies to handle problems, the city once relied upon the Recorders Courts alone. And yet, there has been surprisingly little written about our Recorders Courts. This LibGuide includes primary material from constitutions, ordinances, and case law, as well as some pertinent newspaper stories about these courts.
