The Development of Criminal Law in Louisiana

On Friday, September 11, 2015, a free CLE was presented by Professor Warren M. Billings at the Louisiana Supreme Court, entitled “Habeas Corpus and Due Process, Too?: The Development of Criminal Law in Louisiana.” He discussed the origin of criminal law in Louisiana, focusing primarily on the Louisiana Supreme Court. His presentation included the evolution of criminal statutes, considering the Territorial Crimes Act of 1805, the Livingston Criminal Code, the Crimes Act of 1855, the Criminal Code of 1928, and its subsequent revisions. He also addressed the court’s jurisprudence, how it came to have an appellate role, and how that role has changed from 1845 to the present. In this connection the speaker mentioned Lewis Kerr’s Exposition, Albert Voorhies’s Criminal Jurisprudence, and Robert H. Marr’s Criminal Jurisprudence. With regard to the above, Professor Billings included things like evidence, right to counsel, and procedure.

Habeas Corpus and Due Process, too? The Development of Criminal Law in Louisiana