First Circuit
Act. No. 661 of 1980 increased the number of judges to ten.
Second Circuit
Act No. 661 of 1980 increased the number of judges to six.
Fourth Circuit
Act. No. 661 of 1980 divided the Fourth Circuit into the Fourth and the Fifth Circuits, and gave it several parishes from the court’s territory. The Fourth Circuit retained the parishes of Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard.
In Act No. 843, a joint resolution, the Legislature proposed changes to the 1974 Constitution. The Supreme Court was staggering under the burden of having exclusive authority to review all criminal cases. This proposal would move review of most criminal cases to the courts of appeal.
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing amendments to Paragraphs D and E of Section 5, Paragraph B of Section 8, and Section 10, all of Article V of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to criminal appellate jurisdiction, to provide for direct appeal to the supreme court in criminal cases whenever a defendant has been convicted of a capital offense and a penalty of death has actually been imposed, and to vest jurisdiction for all other criminal cases in the courts of appeal.
This was ratified by the voters on November 4, 1980.