How can one of the best cities in the world have one the poorest excuses for a City Hall? I know,…read moreI know... "it's New Orleans". I should probably leave it at that. From the first time I stepped through the doors over ten years ago, to my experience today, I'm always amazed at how trashy and poorly run this facility is. Usually I'm dealing with residential parking passes, which was the case again today. I purposely waited until 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon assuming that would increase the likelihood of getting in and out quickly. The girl at the front security check point told me that the parking pass department was in an office on the main floor (IW23), so I headed there to find three lovely women who offered to help, but since I was in the voter registration office, there's nothing they could do. They sent me upstairs to where the office used to be before Covid closed it and then temporarily put it just inside the front door near the security screening. I was happy to see that it had returned to its rightful home. I was also happy to see no one in line and a clerk behind the plexiglass. I told her that I needed to replace my parking pass. She told me that she couldn't handle my request, but would try to find someone who could. She was back in 30 seconds with bad news. No one is available, and the only person who can do it is on vacation. She gave me a phone number, which I called and got a voicemail stating that she'd return on December 28th. Guess I'll head back in on the 28th, circle the block until I find a parking spot, pay to park, and try it again. I'll ask Santa for no parking tickets between now and then!

Review update:…read more Sooooo this time go round I visited the 7th floor permits department & 365 days can make a difference. They've moved their office across the hall & have installed a program called "ONE STOP", it seems to be effective. There are comfortable chairs for waiting, decor is modern, plasma screens adorn the walls & there you can see your position in "que". On these plasma screens, they not only provide your place in line/que, but they also provide office hours & other pertinent information including the login name & password to access the guest internet. Sooooo yeah they're still at one star because this is ONLY 1 of mannnnnnny departments. Btw, this time I was in & out in under 2 hours, no pillow or blanket needed.

Walked in, through the metal detectors, past the deputies, to the window and nobody was in line! I…read morehad a court date within 5 minutes of entering the building. It actually took me longer to walk from my parking spot around the corner than to handle my biz inside the courthouse. The lady at the window was extremely nice and the deputies at the entrance were cool. I just hope the judge and prosecutor are the same when I meet them. I'll post again after my court date for 2 moving violtions. I haven't been issued so much as a parking ticket in well over 10 years so we shall see.

They see me rollin, they hatin…read more That's right ladies and gentlemen, I was caught riding dirty. Not really, but it does make for a great entrance to a review about traffic court. Traffic court is a place you do not want to find yourself. If you do, you've likely been issued a traffic citation, municipal summons, arrested for DWI or some municipal offense. Since many of you seem to be the type to be traffic scofflaws, I will attempt to share my vast knowledge in an attempt to help you. 1. If you get a parking ticket, don't come here. They can't help you. 2. Don't park in the spots out front. You'll be towed or at least leered at strongly. 3. Unjustly accused? Plead not guilty and get a court date. Will you win? That depends, but it's worth a shot. 4. Guilty as sin? Talk with the city attorney and hope they are amenable to a deal. 5. Municipal court? You shouldn't have gotten into a fight, smoked weed or peed in public. Come on dude. Really? I hope this review helps you next time you find yourself here. Note: one star because it's traffic court. No one likes traffic court.

Thankfully I've mostly been in criminal court as a juror so that's the experience I'll talk about…read more (Mostly because I did have to attend a murder trial for a journalism class in college.) The jury room is in the basement and jurors are told to wear their juror badges visibly at all times. You may bring your cellphone to the jury pool room but don't let it ring if you're in a courtroom! My understanding is that if you're picked for a trial, cell phones are held by a member of the court staff until you're done for the day. The jury room is pretty boring but it's clean and their are bathrooms in the back corner. There are also vending machines but I usually brought my own snacks/beverage. There are magazines but they're not especially current and one TV was usually on... so I could catch up on the Price is Right. There is also a quiet room across the hall but it's too quiet for me. I found the staff very cordial and professional. They explained the process clearly and gave out certificates each day for those who need proof for their workplace. At the end of service (4 scheduled days... still way better than the 8 that it was last time I was called), you get a certificate proving service that lets you out of jury duty (both criminal and civil) for 2 years. Most days we were out by lunch. UNLESS you were called into voir dire for a possible trial. One batch of folks were at the courthouse until 8pm. So be prepared for that possibility. Finally photos are not allowed. You might accidentally take a photo of a juror or witness or someone and then put them at risk if the trial is a capital trial. Civic duty done!

Have you recently been accused of a felony?…read more Are you performing your civic duty as a juror? Are you a witness in a city where witnesses are afraid to come forward? Are you a lawyer? Are you the victim of a crime? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will likely find yourself here. While none of the aforementioned reasons are fun reasons to be here, the building does have redeeming qualities. From the outside, the building is beautiful. Many may disagree, but I've always found that this building has a strong presence on Tulane Avenue. Inside is equally impressive if you can get past the heat and sea of humanity. Speaking of the sea of humanity, be prepared to wait when you arrive. Everyone has to pass through magnetometers and be checked for weapons. Once through that process, finding your courtroom sometimes proves difficult. Apparently the judges get to pick courtrooms based on seniority so there is no rhyme or reason to the lettering system. It seems that should be fixed, but I guess it never will be. I do recommend taking the stairs if your section is on the upper floor. The elevators are awfully slow, plus the spiral stairs have character. If you're a witness use caution who is around you. I can imagine a criminal's associate would just love pushing you down the stairs. As for whether justice is served here, I will leave that for others to argue. I've been here many times and seen what I thought were serious miscarriages of justice, but who am I to make that determination? As for those who toil here day in and day out, I have the utmost respect for you. Dealing with criminals, reluctant witnesses, shoddy police work and arrogant judges must be difficult. If you don't have to, I don't recommend coming here. If you do, I hope you write a review.

Love Love Love the Law Library here…read more It's a very beautiful building, it's always been one of my favorites in the FQ since I was a wee little lad. Will Return.

In the middle of debauchery and mayhem, the grandest court stands in its esteemed state of…read moreperfection. The Supreme Court of Louisiana is both gorgeous outside, as well as, inside. Nestled literally in the middle of The French Quarter. It's an odd place to be, but given the fact that this is kind of the oldest places in the United States, (300 years old) it makes sense that debauchery and law would reside next to one another. Tours are given often, but tourists are allowed to walk some of the halls, and view numerous rooms. You'll be greeted by gentlemen with badges who mean business. Bring your ID, or you won't be allowed psst the front door. They'll literally " run" your ID, snap your picture, and give you a paper name tag to wear while in the building. The name tag is cool, since they put your picture on it. Cell phones are not permitted in the building. When court is in full session, visitors aren't permitted to tour through the building, and it's heavily discouraged for them to enter the building. If you do, you'll hear someone utter here comes the judge ... If you're looking for something educational, history filled, interesting, and not included in the tour packages of cemetery places, make a point of stopping in.

So if you've been following my twitter stream, you know I'm on jury duty in Civil Court this week…read more What can I say it's jury duty, you're really bored while you're waiting around the jury pool room. The chairs are uncomfortable but they do offer free coffee and water. The bathrooms are reasonably clean and the staff is professional and recognizes that most folks don't want to be there. Civil court has a leg up on criminal in Orleans parish because you actually call in to see if you need to show up. So instead of heading in on each scheduled day, you call the night before. As of this moment, the schedule is everyday for 2 weeks.

Oy. This place is a mess. I went to drop off some paperwork for my boss and am not a lawyer or a…read morelegal aid so wasn't exactly sure where to go / what to do (as I'm sure many patrons of the building also are not). The building itself is old, but it's New Orleans so that is to be expected. But what is not acceptable is the disorganization of the place. The signage is confusing at best, it's piecemeal throughout the building and there are no directional signs to tell you where to go. I went up to the Clerk's office to be greeted by a deputy clerk speaking at the lowest volume possible and doing absolutely nothing - but told me to get into another line to speak with a different clerk who had stacks and stacks of paperwork in front of her. She processed my paperwork but wasn't clear on what my next step was. I then went to three different judge's offices in the building to get something sign, each one directing me to go somewhere else. Between poor service and a confusing building, the court certianly needs improvement. Especially as I have been to Jefferson Parish Court for a similar task, where everything was streamlined, very clear, and the employees were incredibly helpful.

I recently had the privilege and honor of spending three glorious days, well into the evening, at…read morethis court house serving jury duty. Before Monday, I had been called for jury duty (JD) one other time and we were dismissed due to lack of cases. I was not so lucky this time. Some basics: when you get your summons, you will have a number that you are assigned. This will be your number throughout the process, so don't forget it. Check the JP website the night before to see if you have to report. Parking: the parking garage is convenient and easy and your parking will be validated, so park there for easy access. I suggest getting there a little early to avoid the line going in, especially on busier days. Once you get there you will check in and then you just sit and wait for your name to be called. If you're lucky, you'll be called fast or dismissed. I was called immediately and I headed upstairs. The first trial I was a going to be a possible juror for was a criminal trial. After about two hours of group questioning, I was dismissed and sent back downstairs to wait to be called again. The jury I was actually picked for was a civil trial that lasted two solid days. Lucky me. More on that in a minute. On the day I was waiting to find out if I was going to be chosen, we were given 15 minutes to get something at the snack bar, eat it and get back to the jury pool room. Apparently, it was a busy day at the JP courthouse. The snack bar has a few sandwiches and other snacks, but if you can bring your own food, that will be even better. The actual serving of jury duty was okay. My judge was super cool and gave us lots of breaks, brought in breakfast and lunch and our jury "lounge" was packed with candy, coffee, soft drinks, water, chips, fruit, cookies and other goodies. The bailiffs really did the best they could to make the experience as comfortable as possible for us and constantly checked in to make sure that we had everything that we needed. There's WiFi in the jury room and you can have your phone as long as you aren't in the courtroom or deliberating on a verdict (this might have been just because I had a civil case, though. I'm not sure how criminal cases work with internet access). If you get picked, expect some long days. I didn't get out until after 7 on all three days that I was there. The worst part of the entire experience was the constant sitting around and not really moving. It does get boring after a while, especially when you are waiting for lawyers and other involved people to show up, so bring a book or other form of entertainment and bring a sweater because the courtroom gets really cold and bring your own snacks if you have dietary issues. When all is said and done you'll get a fancy certificate thanking you for your service, so feel free so show that to the jerk who you said you would never make anything of your life.

Very Ghetto. Would not recommend. Cafe pastries are stale. The wifi sucks. Judges always arrive…read morelate. Seems like it's an social party with the amount of talking and lack of work the clerks do. The AC is great tho and lounge area comfortable. Great place to hide. They wont find you right under their nose.

I had a ticket appearance date for 4pm. I was already in the Metairie area so I decided to go early…read moreat 1pm and see if I needed to really have my paper ticket with me or not I left my paper ticket at home on my desk. Well surprise me the lady behind the information counter had all my information so there was no need for me to go all the way home and come back. This saved me time Thank goodness sometimes for technology and computers Next I went to another window counter to actually set up my court date with the district attorney I was able to use my phone to schedule my court date with the district attorney. I had no problems bringing my phone in at all Now I can go about my day and not worry about going all the way home just to turn around and come back. What a waste of time that would have been. I'm so glad I stopped by early and asked. And the best surprise was that everyone was very nice courteous friendly and really helpful

Well iffffffffffffff and I mean IF you must go to court, this is your place…read more.. QUICK NOTE: Fighting & paying for traffic tickets has been my ONLY experience here. #anticriminalmind #dontjudgeme *******Oh and NO CELL PHONE... Metal detector to your right & if it's on your person, you will be instructed to return it to your car or wherever you came from; JUST NOT WITH YOU WHILE YOURE IN THE BLDG********** But I digress, yea, so there's evening/night court & truly due process that is a process. It's refreshing to be able to attend court on say a lunch break & be able to finish up in a timely fashion. When it come to procedure & protocol, they're regimented. This is great as it affords everyone to be on the same page regarding expectations, making for a reduced stress level. I find the judges to be fair & IMPARTIAL; I mean for me it's just traffic, but hey at least hear me out & CONSIDER I'm innocent of running that red light (or maybe not, but hey, give a girl her right to fair & speedy red light ticket trial). I believe the judges have day time jobs ie private practice law offices etc & this is extra part time gig, hence the reason they're able to do these late day/early evening court proceedings. Whatever the reason, for the times I need to go, which will SOON be very few & far between, I'm with the late-day/early evening court. Processing payments is good as well, if found guilty, fees can be scheduled for future payment or paid all at once upon exiting the court. Cash, credit cards, money orders or checks; one of few courthouses that still accept checks for payment, just make sure it's ON-TIME!!!! Keep up the good work 1st Parish Court folks & I hope not to be seeing y'all anytime soon.