                            CONSTITUTION
                               OF THE
                         STATE OF LOUISIANA



                              PREAMBLE

     We,  the  people of Louisiana,  grateful to Almighty God for  the
civil,  political,  economic,  and  religious liberties we enjoy,  and
desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty,  and property;
afford  opportunity  for  the fullest development of  the  individual;
assure equality of rights; promote the health, safety, education,  and
welfare   of  the  people;   maintain  a  representative  and  orderly
government;  ensure  domestic  tranquility;  provide  for  the  common
defense;  and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves
and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.

                               ARTICLE I

                         DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

     Section 1.  All government, of right, originates with the people,
is  founded  on  their will alone,  and is instituted to  protect  the
rights  of  the  individual and for the good of the  whole.  Its  only
legitimate ends are to secure justice for all, preserve peace, protect
the  rights,  and  promote  the happiness and general welfare  of  the
people.  The  rights enumerated in this Article are inalienable by the
state and shall be preserved inviolate by the state.

     Section  2.   No person shall be deprived of  life,  liberty,  or
property, except by due process of law.

     Section 3.  No person shall be denied the equal protection of the
laws.  No  law shall discriminate against a person because of race  or
religious ideas, beliefs,  or affiliations.  No law shall arbitrarily,
capriciously, or unreasonably discriminate against a person because of
birth, age, sex,  culture,  physical condition,  or political ideas or
affiliations. Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except
in the latter case as punishment for crime.

     Section 4. Every person has the right to acquire,  own,  control,
use,  enjoy,  protect,  and dispose of private property.  The right is
subject  to  reasonable  statutory  restrictions  and  the  reasonable
exercise of the police power.
     Property  shall  not  be  taken or damaged by the  state  or  its
political  subdivisions  except  for  public purposes  and  with  just
compensation paid to the owner or into court for his benefit. Property
shall  not be taken or damaged by any private entity authorized by law
to  expropriate,  except  for a public and necessary purpose and  with
just compensation paid to the owner; in such proceedings,  whether the
purpose is public and necessary shall be a judicial question. In every
expropriation,  a  party  has  a right to trial by jury  to  determine
compensation, and the owner shall be compensated to the full extent of
his  loss.  No business enterprise or any of its assets shall be taken
for  the  purpose of operating that enterprise or halting  competition
with a government enterprise. However,  a municipality may expropriate
a  utility  within  its jurisdiction.  Personal  effects,  other  than
contraband, shall never be taken.
     This  section  shall  not  apply  to  appropriation  of  property
necessary for levee and levee drainage purposes.

     Section 5. Every person shall be secure in his person,  property,
communications,  houses,  papers,  and  effects  against  unreasonable
searches, seizures,  or invasions of property.  No warrant shall issue
without   probable  cause  supported  by  oath  or  affirmation,   and
particularly  describing  the  place to be searched,  the  persons  or
things to be seized,  and the lawful purpose or reason for the search.
Any  person  adversely  affected by a search or seizure  conducted  in
violation  of this Section shall have standing to raise its illegality
in the appropriate court.

     Section 6.  No person shall be quartered in any house without the
consent of the owner or lawful occupant.

     Section 7. No law shall curtail or restrain the freedom of speech
or  of  the press.  Every person may speak,  write,  and  publish  his
sentiments  on any subject,  but is responsible for the abuse of  that
freedom.

     Section 8. No law shall be enacted respecting an establishment of
religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

     Section  9.  No  law  shall  impair the right of  any  person  to
assemble  peaceably  or  to  petition  government  for  a  redress  of
grievances.

     Section 10. Every citizen of the state,  upon reaching the age of
eighteen  years  of age,  shall have the right to register  and  vote,
except  that this right may be suspended while a person is interdicted
and  judicially declared mentally incompetent or is under an order  of
imprisonment for conviction of a felony.

     Section 11. The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall
not  be abridged,  but this provision shall not prevent the passage of
laws to prohibit the carrying of weapons concealed on the person.

     Section  12.  In  access to  public  areas,  accommodations,  and
facilities,  every person shall be free from discrimination based upon
race, religion,  or national ancestry and from arbitrary,  capricious,
or  unreasonable  discrimination  based  on  age,  sex,   or  physical
condition.

     Section  13.  When  any person has been arrested or  detained  in
connection  with  the investigation or commission of any  offense,  he
shall be advised fully of the reason for his arrest or detention,  his
right  to  remain silent,  his right against self  incrimination,  his
right  to  the assistance of counsel and,  if indigent,  his right  to
court appointed counsel.  In a criminal prosecution,  an accused shall
be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him.  At
each stage of the proceedings,  every person is entitled to assistance
of counsel of his choice,  or appointed by the court if he is indigent
and   charged  with  an  offense  punishable  by   imprisonment.   The
legislature  shall  provide  for  a uniform system  for  securing  and
compensating qualified counsel for indigents.

     Section  14.  The right to a preliminary examination shall not be
denied  in felony cases except when the accused is indicted by a grand
jury.

     Section  15.  Prosecution  of  a  felony shall  be  initiated  by
indictment or information, but no person shall be held to answer for a
capital  crime  or a crime punishable by life imprisonment  except  on
indictment  by  a  grand  jury.  No person shall be  twice  placed  in
jeopardy  for  the same offense,  except on his application for a  new
trial,  when  a  mistrial is declared,  or when a motion in arrest  of
judgement is sustained.

     Section  16.  Every  person  charged  with a  crime  is  presumed
innocent until proven guilty and is entitled to a speedy, public,  and
impartial  trial in the parish where the offense or an element of  the
offense occurred,  unless venue is changed in accordance with law.  No
person shall be compelled to give evidence against himself. An accused
is  entitled to confront and cross examine the witnesses against  him,
to  compel the attendance of witnesses,  to present a defense,  and to
testify in his own behalf.

     Section  17.  A  criminal  case in which the  punishment  may  be
capital  shall be tried before a jury of twelve persons,  all of  whom
must  concur  to render a verdict.  A case in which the punishment  is
necessarily  confinement at hard labor shall be tried before a jury of
twelve persons, ten of whom must concur to render a verdict. A case in
which  the punishment may be confinement at hard labor or  confinement
without  hard  labor for more than six months shall be tried before  a
jury of six persons, five of whom must concur to render a verdict. The
accused  shall  have  the  right  to full  voir  dire  examination  of
prospective jurors and to challenge jurors peremptorily. The number of
challenges shall be fixed by law. Except in capital cases, a defendant
may knowingly and intelligently waive his right to a trial by jury.

     Section  18.  Excessive  bail shall not be required.  Before  and
during  a  trial,  a  person shall be bailable by  sufficient  surety,
except  when  he  is charged with a capital offense and the  proof  is
evident  and the presumption of guilt is great.  After conviction  and
before sentencing,  a person shall be bailable if the maximum sentence
which  may be imposed is imprisonment for five years or less;  and the
judge  may grant bail if the maximum sentence which may be imposed  is
imprisonment  exceeding five years.  After sentencing and until  final
judgement, a person shall be bailable if the sentence actually imposed
is  five years or less;  and the judge may grant bail if the  sentence
actually imposed exceeds imprisonment for five years.

     Section  19.  No  person  shall be subjected to  imprisonment  or
forfeiture  of rights or property without the right to judicial review
based  upon a complete record of all evidence upon which the judgement
is  based.  This  right  may  be intelligently  waived.  The  cost  of
transcribing the record shall be paid as provided by law.

     Section  20.  No law shall subject any person to  euthanasia,  to
torture, or to cruel, excessive, or unusual punishment. Full rights of
citizenship  shall  be restored upon termination of state and  federal
supervision following conviction for any offense.

     Section 21. The writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended.

     Section 22. All courts shall be open, and every person shall have
an  adequate  remedy by due process of law and  justice,  administered
without denial, partiality,  or unreasonable delay,  for injury to him
in his person, property, reputation, or other rights.

     Section  23.  No  bill of attainder,  ex post facto law,  or  law
impairing the obligation of contracts shall be enacted.

     Section  24.  The  enumeration  in this constitution  of  certain
rights  shall  not  deny  or disparage other  right  retained  by  the
individual citizens of the state.

                              ARTICLE X

     Section  30.  Every  official  shall take the following  oath  or
affirmation:
     "I  do  solemnly  swear  (or affirm)  that  I  will  support  the
constitution  of  the United States and the constitution and  laws  of
this  state  and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge  and
perform all the duties incumbent upon me as .......,  according to the
best of my ability and understanding, so help me God."
