On Monday, March 16, 2026, the Louisiana Radio Network reported that Court Watch NOLA, a New Orleans-based court watchdog group, has voiced strong opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would grant the Louisiana Senate the power to remove a judge or district attorney based on the governor’s recommendation.
Jesse Manley, the interim executive director of Court Watch NOLA, argues that the amendment undermines the democratic process by allowing the governor and Senate to override the decisions of voters who elected these officials. Manley emphasized that such a system could erode public confidence in the judicial system.
Senate Bill 123, authored by Republican Senator Jay Morris of Monroe, proposes that the governor could suspend a judge or district attorney for up to six months. During this suspension, the Senate could then vote to permanently remove the individual with a two-thirds majority vote.
Morris defended the bill by citing issues within Louisiana’s juvenile justice system, including the murder of a tourist in the French Quarter by a teenager whose ankle monitoring had lapsed due to oversight by the judge and district attorney. He argues that the bill is necessary to address such failures.
Manley counters that existing mechanisms, such as the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, already provide a means to address judicial misconduct. He believes that voters are capable of holding judges and district attorneys accountable and that the proposed amendment is an unnecessary overreach.
Source: Louisiana Radio Network
