Art. 314. Authority to fix bail; bail order
A. The following magistrates, throughout their several territorial jurisdictions, shall
have authority to fix bail:
(1) District courts and their commissioners having criminal jurisdiction, in all cases.
(2) City or parish courts and municipal and traffic courts of New Orleans having
criminal jurisdiction, in cases not capital.
(3) Mayor's courts and traffic courts in criminal cases within their trial jurisdiction.
(4) Juvenile and family courts in criminal cases within their trial jurisdiction.
(5) Justices of the peace in cases not capital or necessarily punishable at hard labor.
B. An order fixing bail shall be in writing, set the type and a single amount of bail
for each charge, designate the officer or officers authorized to accept the bail, and shall be
signed electronically or by any other means by the magistrate. An order fixing bail may issue
on request of the state or defendant, or on the initiative of the magistrate.
Amended by Acts 1974, Ex.Sess. No. 18, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1975; Acts 1981, No. 438,
§1; Acts 1993, No. 834, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 2016, No. 613, 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.