Louisiana Constitution adopted May 12, 1898
Article 87
Art. 87. The State shall be divided into four Supreme Court districts, and the Supreme Court shall always be composed of justices appointed from said districts. The parishes of Orleans, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Jefferson shall compose the first district, from which two justices shall be appointed.
The parishes of Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Bienville, Claiborne, Union, Lincoln, Jackson, Caldwell, Ouachita, Morehouse, Richland, Franklin, West Carroll, East Carroll, Madison, Tensas, Concordia, and Catahoula, shall compose the second district, from winch one justice shall be appointed.
The parishes of DeSoto, Red River, Winn, Grant, Natchitoches, Sabine, Vernon, Calcasieu, Cameron, Rapides, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. Landry, Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermillion, shall compose the third district, from which one justice shall be appointed.
The parishes of St. Martin, Iberia, St Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, Ascension, St. James, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Washington shall compose the fourth district, from which one justice shall be appointed.
The justices of the Supreme Court, as now constituted, shall serve until the expiration of their respective terms. When the office of Chief Justice becomes vacant, either from expiration of term, death, resignation, or from any other cause, the Associate Justice who has served the longest time, shall by virtue of said length of service, become Chief Justice, and the new appointee shall become an Associate Justice only.
