Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 16:16.1

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • 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.
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

Except in the parish of Orleans, in all criminal cases, over which the district attorney’s office has jurisdiction, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after trial  or who pleads guilty or nolo contendere or against whom a judgment of bond forfeiture  has been rendered, a nonrefundable sum of ten dollars in each case, which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed.  The sums collected under this Section shall be remitted monthly by the clerk’s office to the office of the district attorney of the judicial district to be used in defraying expenses of his office.

Acts 1997, No. 1443, §2; Acts 2003, No. 706, §1.