Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.31

  • Commission: means the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.2
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Owner: means a person, other than a lien holder, having a property interest in or title to a motorboat. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.2
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other entity. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.2
  • Prohibited zone: means an area paralleling each side of the entire length of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge and extending outward for a distance of one mile from both the most easterly and westerly outboard sides of the causeway bridge twin spans. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.2
  • Vessel: means watercraft and air boats of every description, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:851.2

A.(1)  Any person who violates any provision of La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.7, 851.9, 851.11, 851.12, 851.13, 851.14, 851.15, 851.16, 851.17, 851.18, 851.19, 851.20, 851.21, 851.23, 851.24, 851.27(C), and 851.30 shall be guilty of a class one violation, La. Rev. Stat. 56:31.

(2)  In the event that a citation is issued for a violation of La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.20, for failure to have in one’s possession the required boat registration certificate, such citation shall be voided if proof of a valid previously issued registration certificate is furnished to the authority which issued the citation not later than ten days after the issuance of the citation.

B.  Any person who violates the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.8 shall be guilty of a class four violation, La. Rev. Stat. 56:34.

C.  Any person who violates any provision of La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.10 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than six months, or both.

D.  Any person who violates La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.24(J) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not less than two hundred and fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or six months imprisonment, or both.

E.(1)  Should the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission determine that any vessel is in violation of any provision of La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.24(J) within the prohibited zone, it may impose against any such vessel owner or operator or charterer a civil penalty not exceeding one thousand dollars per vessel for each violation thereof.  Any civil penalty imposed by the expressway commission may, in its discretion be suspended in whole or in part.

(2)  For purposes of this Subsection, should the monitoring equipment indicate that Loran C equipment assigned to a particular operator has intruded into the prohibited zone defined in La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.2(11), proof of such indication shall constitute prima facie evidence that the operator to whom the equipment was assigned has violated La. Rev. Stat. 34:851.24(J)(2) and is liable for a civil penalty under this Subsection.

(3)  The provisions of the Louisiana Administrative Procedure Act regarding administrative adjudications shall apply to civil penalty proceedings under this Subsection.

Acts 1984, No. 288, §1; Acts 1988, No. 552, §1, eff. July 14, 1988; Acts 1991, No. 966, §1; Acts 2003, No. 324, §1; Acts 2004, No. 238, §1; Acts 2009, No. 513, §2.

NOTE:  See Acts 1988, No. 552, §2.