A justice of the peace may punish a direct contempt of court, as defined in Article 222, by a fine of not more than fifty dollars, or imprisonment in the parish jail for not more than twenty-four hours, or both.
Art. 4914.Contempt Power; Justice of the Peace Courts
Book VIII. Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Title II. Procedure In Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Chapter 2. Civil Jurisdiction For Justice of the Peace Courts · Last amended 1991 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4914 authorizes a justice of the peace to punish a direct contempt of court, as defined in Article 222, with a fine of no more than fifty dollars, imprisonment in the parish jail for no more than twenty-four hours, or both.
Full Text of Art. 4914
Amendment History
Acts 1986, No. 156, §1; Acts 1991, No. 508, §3.
Plain-English Summary
Direct contempt is misconduct committed in a judge's own presence, or so near it that it disrupts the proceeding, as Article 222 defines the term elsewhere in the Code. Article 4914 gives a justice of the peace authority to punish that misconduct on the spot, without the separate hearing procedure a constructive contempt would require.
The punishment a justice of the peace may impose is modest, in keeping with a court built to handle claims no larger than five thousand dollars: a fine capped at fifty dollars, imprisonment in the parish jail for no more than twenty-four hours, or both together. The ceiling keeps the contempt power proportionate to the informal, low-stakes forum a justice of the peace presides over.
This authority reaches only direct contempt. A justice of the peace court has no general injunctive power under Article 4913, and nothing in Article 4914 expands that court's authority beyond policing conduct that disrupts its own proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a justice of the peace fine someone for contempt of court?
No more than fifty dollars, under Article 4914, along with or instead of up to twenty-four hours in the parish jail.
What counts as direct contempt before a justice of the peace?
Misconduct defined in Article 222 that occurs in the judge's presence or close enough to disrupt the proceeding, which the justice of the peace may punish without a separate hearing.
Is a justice of the peace's contempt power the same as a district court's?
No. Article 4914 caps the fine and jail time at a level proportionate to a court that handles only small claims, well below what a district court could impose.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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