City of West Monroe

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West Monroe City Court

2303 North 7th Street
West Monroe, LA 71291
Directions: via MapQuest

Phone: (318) 396-2767
Fax: (318) 396-2738
Probation: (318) 396-2660 x172

Hours: Monday - Friday
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Judge Jim Norris
Charlene Crocker, Clerk of Court-Civil Division
Juawanna Burson, Clerk of Court-Criminal Division
Alicia Johnson, Probation Officer
Deputy Clerks:

Mary Jo Phillips
Greta Redden
Ginny Gabb
Gwen Stansell

City Judge

The West Monroe City Court consists of one part-time elected judge. Judge Jim Norris was elected to serve in this position January 1, 1997. He is a graduate of West Monroe High School, graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree from Louisiana Tech University, attended the Mississippi College School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University. Judge Norris is a member of the American Bar Association and the Louisiana State Bar Association. He is on the Board of Directors for the West Monroe Boys and Girls Club, past president of the West Monroe Rebel Club, a West Monroe High School Sports Announcer and coaches various youth sports programs.

About City Court

The Court is comprised of several divisions with a staff that provides the necessary support to the judge, the legal community and the citizens of West Monroe and Ward 5. These include: Civil Division, Misdemeanor Criminal/Traffic Division, Juvenile Division and Probation. There is an appointed Clerk of Court for the Civil Division and for the Misdemeanor Criminal/Traffic Division.

West Monroe City Court has civil jurisdiction over civil filings, judgments, evictions and garnishments. The Court also has jurisdiction over violations of City ordinances and misdemeanor cases, juvenile traffic, juvenile criminal matters and child in need of care cases.

 

Holidays Observed

The City Court of West Monroe observes all Federal and State holidays. For information regarding closures please refer to the local newspaper.
By order of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, when a legal holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday may be a closed holiday and, if a legal holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday may be a closed holiday. Upon special proclamation by the Governor of the State of Louisiana, other legal holidays may periodically be observed.

Misdemeanor Criminal / Trafic Division

Traffic citations issued and misdemeanor arrests made within the city limits of West Monroe are processed through the Misdemeanor Criminal/Traffic Division. This division is responsible for maintaining all misdemeanor criminal and traffic charges, records, and reporting traffic convictions to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Criminal and traffic records are kept on file indefinitely including, but not limited to, DWI, hit and run, careless operation, disturbing the peace and possession of marijuana charges. Most traffic fines may be paid at the City Marshal’s office Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and must be accompanied by a signed traffic ticket or waiver form. Contact the City Marshal’s office for traffic fine information at (318) 396-6107 and contact the City Prosecutor’s office for court dates at (318) 396-2791.

Court Costs

In addition to city fines, court costs are assessed according to guidelines set by the Louisiana State Legislature. Those costs are disbursed to various agencies as follows:

Traffic Violations:

City General Fund                  $  10.00
City Marshal Fee                      20.00
Indigent Defender Board Fee           30.00
North Louisiana Crime Lab             10.00
City Officer Witness Fund             15.00
Legislature-Security Fee              10.00
State-Report of Conviction             2.00
State-Officer Training                 2.00
CMIS/State Treasury                    2.00
Crime Stoppers of Ouachita Parish      2.00
TOTAL COURT COST                   $ 103.00

Misdemeanor costs of court vary according to the nature of the offense.

Civil Division

The Court has limited civil jurisdiction throughout West Monroe and Ward 5 that includes cases where the amount in dispute is $15,000 or less. Initial filing fees are charged to file civil suits, evictions and other pleadings. Civil suits may be filed with the assistance of a retained attorney or in proper person using generic forms provided by the Clerk’s office. Detailed information concerning costs may be obtained by contacting the Civil Division at (318) 396-2660, Ext. 167.

Juvenile

The Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Fourth Judicial District Court over felony and misdemeanor criminal cases in West Monroe and Ward 5 involving persons under the age of 17. It also has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court over children that are in need of care and protection. All juvenile proceedings are confidential and closed to the public.

Probation

The Probation Office is responsible for supervising persons with misdemeanor criminal offenses and DWI offenders who are placed on probation as a part of their sentencing by the Court. The Probation Officer also serves as a liaison for probation activities with public agencies, criminal justice system classes, explores and coordinates the available resources for treatment and rehabilitative services for offenders. Detailed information concerning probation may be obtained by contacting the Probation Office at (318) 396-2660, Ext. 172.