Judicial conference spending: Louisiana courts spent $1.18M on Florida trips since 2022

Louisiana courts spent $1.18 million sending judges to a continuing education conference in Florida between 2022 and 2025, according to records reviewed by WVUE. The sum covers travel, food, lodging, registration and related expenses for the Louisiana Judicial College and Louisiana State Bar Association Summer School conference held at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort near Destin. The records came from more than 40 courts across the state, including district, appellate and Supreme Court levels. WVUE did not obtain records from every court, so the total could be higher.

The conference has been held in the Destin area since 1988, according to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Louisiana judges must complete 12.5 hours of continuing education annually, including five hours through an in-person seminar offered by the Louisiana Judicial College. State Rep. Jerome Zeringue, a Republican from Houma, has pushed for limits on judicial travel spending for several years. "I find it hard to believe that there is no place in Louisiana that could not fulfill the needs that they have and specific requirements," he said.

The Louisiana Judicial College Board of Governors includes judges, but the majority of judges who attend do not select the venue. The bar association and the college coordinate the Summer School's location. The Louisiana Supreme Court said it caps nightly lodging rates for the conference and sets annual limits on judicial travel.

The Louisiana Supreme Court said in a statement that the Judicial College runs 10 seminars a year and that Summer School is the only one held outside the state. The court described Sandestin as "safe" and "centralized" and said the location follows guidance from its Judicial Security and Safety Management team. The court also said it continually looks for alternatives that offer practical and cost-effective venues.

Bar Association President Curtis Joseph said in a statement that Sandestin is "uniquely situated to meet all of our programmatic needs." Joseph said New Orleans hotels that could host the event are limited, and only one responded to a recent request for proposals. He said meeting in New Orleans would cost more than Sandestin. Zeringue disagreed, saying judges who live near New Orleans could drive to a local venue and avoid lodging costs. "If you're concerned about the room ratio for judges who live in the New Orleans area, all the more reason to have it in New Orleans because you don't have to pay for room and board if they live close enough that they can drive to the meeting," he said.

Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said the existence of similar conferences in Louisiana shows the education can be completed in state. "The fact that they offer conferences in the state of Louisiana indicates to me and acknowledges the reality that you can get your continuing legal education in Louisiana," he said. Zeringue said the legislature could set limits on spending but said the responsibility starts with the judiciary. Sandestin is scheduled to host the conference in 2027 and 2028, Joseph said.