On the first of the year, twenty-four new state laws were added to the books. Here’s what’s changed for Louisiana in 2019.
Unanimous Juries for Felony Convictions
Louisiana leaves only Oregon in its wake as it becomes the penultimate state to require unanimous jury verdicts for felonies. Prior to this legislation, a felony conviction allowed 10 of 12 jurors to agree on a guilty verdict for resolution. Felony crimes committed on or after January 1st will be subject to the new law, while the old law will apply to those committed in 2018 and earlier. We have a team of experienced defense attorneys that can help clients facing prosecution to ensure their rights are fully protected.
Nursing Home Cameras
Under the new Nursing Home Virtual Visitation Act, families will be able to install surveillance cameras, dubbed “Granny cams,” in the nursing home rooms of their loved ones. They will be subject to specific guidelines outlined by the nursing homes, and the expense of the cameras falls on the patient and/or family. Roommates’ families must consent to cameras in shared rooms, and signs notifying staff and visitors of the monitoring systems must be posted.
Sexual Harassment Policies
All state and local government agencies must now implement anti-sexual harassment policies that include complaint handling processes, retaliation bans, and mandatory yearly prevention training. They must also compile annual reports to be disclosed to the public each February.
Other laws include changes to health insurance mandates regarding breast cancer screenings for patients who have had a bilateral mastectomy after diagnosis, requiring that Louisiana colleges and universities include information on student identification cards to make them meet voter ID requirements, as well as a $9 increase in boat registration fees.
Sarabeth T. Bradley understands the legal and emotional complexity involved in child custody, visitation, and support cases. If you need help negotiating child support payments, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call for a consultation at 985-888-1874. In addition to family law, we work in many other areas of practice.