History Of The Office

The office of the Justice of the Peace ("JOP") was created in England around 1560. It was used for basically the same reason as today - swift resolution of neighborhood problems. Later in colonial America, district judges moved through large, sparsely settled districts and frequently spent as much time on a horse as in the courtroom (district judges were often referred to as "circuit riders").

Towns and villages could go weeks without a judge; hence, the Justice of the Peace became a common figure. Civil marriages were later added to the JOP's responsibilities by the first colonies and today every state has JOPs. In Louisiana, the Constitution of 1845 provided that "the judicial power shall be vested in a supreme court, in district courts, and in justices of the peace."

Justice of the Peace • Small Claims Court • Weddings
Notary of South Baton Rouge