(Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
The Louisiana Supreme Court will review whether granting automatic delays in court proceedings to attorneys who are also state lawmakers is fair. The justices’ decision to do so comes just days after Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a bill that would have changed the practice.
The court agreed Tuesday to hear arguments over whether Sen. Alan Seabaugh and Rep. Micheal Melerine , Republicans who are partners in a Shreveport law firm, have been unreasonably delaying court proceedings related to a car accident because of their legislative responsibilities.
Caddo Parish resident Theresa Fisher initially sued the driver who hit her car and his insurance company, Hanover Insurance Group, which Seabaugh and Melerine represent, in April 2019. She’s seeking financial compensation for medical problems she the accident caused, according to her attorneys.
The case, pending in the First Judicial District in Caddo, has been delayed more than once, sometimes because it conflicted with Seabaugh’s legislative schedule. He has been a lawmaker since 2010. Melerine joined the Legislature earlier this year.