Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:264.7

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

A.  A member, beneficiary, or survivor who can demonstrate a personal interest in a retirement system may bring a civil action to enforce the provisions of this Subpart.  In any enforcement proceeding the plaintiff may seek and the court may grant any appropriate form of relief, including but not limited to the following:

(1)  A writ of mandamus.

(2)  Injunctive relief.

(3)  A declaratory judgment.

(4)  A judgment rendering certain actions of the board of trustees as void.

(5)  A judgment awarding civil damages.

(6)  A judgment requiring payment of the amounts in La. Rev. Stat. 11:269.

B.  Exclusive original jurisdiction for proceedings under this Subpart shall be in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana.  In any enforcement proceeding the court has jurisdiction and authority to issue all necessary orders to require compliance with, or to prevent noncompliance with, or to declare the rights of parties under the provisions of this Subpart.  Any noncompliance with the orders of the court may be punished as contempt of court.  

C.  If a person who brings an enforcement proceeding prevails, he shall be awarded reasonable attorney fees and other costs of litigation.  If such person prevails in part, the court may award him reasonable attorney fees or an appropriate portion thereof.  If the court finds that the proceeding was of a frivolous nature and was brought with no substantial justification, it may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.  

Acts 1992, No. 1046, §1, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 2005, No. 9, §1, eff. May 27, 2005.