In 1992, Revius Ortique became the first African American to be elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court. At age 68 he had reached the pinnacle of his legal career. He would not have a long tenure on the court, however, because at that time Justices had to retire when they turned 70. He stayed on until the end of August.
Under prior law, two Supreme Court justices would be elected from a district composed of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes. This arrangement favored white candidates. Under the terms of a voting rights settlement, one justice would be elected from Orleans Parish to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal and then assigned to the Supreme Court. This would give black voters a chance to elect their own candidate.
