A part-time justice of the peace in suburban New Orleans earned more than $400,000 in 2025, surpassing the salary of the US chief justice, because Louisiana's unique court system ties judicial compensation directly to fees charged on eviction cases.
Justice Chuck Cusimano II, who presides over a jurisdiction of just 25 square miles and hears cases twice a week, took home over $80,000 more than Chief Justice John Roberts. Under Louisiana's justice of the peace rules, most of his compensation comes from court fees he charges on evictions and other matters before him.
System Allows Judges to Boost Income
The system permits a handful of the state's roughly 390 justices of the peace to earn well beyond their modest local government salaries. These judges also hear small claims cases and perform marriages. Legal experts and housing advocates say Louisiana is the only state where the fees justices charge directly determine their earnings, arguing this is unconstitutional because it creates conflicts of interest that disadvantage tenants against landlords who bring cases and fees.
A class-action lawsuit in federal court in Baton Rouge alleges these fee arrangements encourage justices to “maximize” eviction filings “by ruling in favor of landlords, who select where to file a petition for eviction.” Because leases often require tenants to reimburse court costs, tenants frequently pay for their own evictions on top of late fees and moving expenses.
Investigation Findings
The Guardian's nine-month investigation analyzed more than 11,000 pages of eviction records and 3,400 financial disclosure forms over a decade, observed proceedings at five courts, and interviewed a dozen evicted individuals and 10 lawyers. It identified five justices who earned over $220,000 from filing fees in at least one year from 2023 to 2025.
Lisa Foster, a former California appellate judge and former director of the office for access to justice at the US Department of Justice, called the system “blatantly unconstitutional.” Cusimano denied any conflict, saying fees are paid upfront “irrespective of the outcome.” The state attorney general's office and the Louisiana Justices of the Peace & Constables Association did not answer detailed questions.
Data Analysis Reveals Revenue
The system generated $45m in fees from 2016 to 2025, with at least $31m kept as personal salary. The top 10 highest-earning courts, mostly in Jefferson parish and East Baton Rouge, collected over $30m and were paid nearly $12m. Cusimano's court generated more than $7m, representing 16% of the system's total revenue.
From June 2025 to May 2026, Cusimano's court processed more than 5,500 eviction cases, one of the highest filing rates in the US, according to Princeton University's eviction lab. The court ordered 3,276 evictions and ruled for tenants in only 141 cases, mostly when landlords failed to appear. Almost one in five renter households in the district faced eviction.
The investigation also found a quarter of the state's justices failed to complete training requirements over the last two years. Louisiana is among 17 states allowing unlicensed judges to preside over evictions, and only seven states still grant justices of the peace judicial power. The reporting comes amid an affordable housing crisis in Louisiana, one of the poorest states, with few renter protections and recent anti-homelessness legislation criminalizing unauthorized outdoor sleeping.
