Jameel Latham v. State of Louisiana, Through the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and Hackley Willis

STATE OF LOUISIANA

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

JAMEEL LATHAM NO. 2020 CW 0517

VERSUS

STATE OF LOUISIANA, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY AND
CORRECTIONS AND HACKLEY
WILLIS

In Re: State of Louisiana, through the Department of Public
Safety and Corrections, and Hackley Willis, applying
for supervisory writs, 19th Judicial District Court,
Parish of East Baton Rouge, No. 690222.

BEFORE: MCCLENDON, WELCH, AND HOLDRIDGE, JJ.

WRIT GRANTED. The district court' s June 3, 2020 judgment,
ordering a report on any and all outstanding costs owed to the

19th Judicial District Court Clerk of Court by the Department of
Public Safety and Corrections in all litigation over which

Assistant Attorney General Kathi Logan, Transportation Section
Chief, has supervisory authority, is vacated. The Department of

Public Safety and Corrections is statutorily authorized to defer
payment of court costs until a final judgment is rendered

against it. See La. R. S. 13: 4521( A)( 1), 13: 4581, & 13: 5112( A) &
B). Moreover, the district court has authorized the instant
defendants to proceed without advancing court costs. Therefore,
such a report is unnecessary and irrelevant to the underlying
litigation.

PMC
JEW

Holdridge, J., concurs. The district court inquire
may
about court costs directly with the Department of Public Safety
and Corrections or with its Clerk of Court' s office but may not
make such inquires as part of this litigation.

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

DEPUT CLERK OF COURT
FOR THE COURT