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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 517 Grants Jury Trials for Certain Juvenile Offenders
Last action · May 19, 2026: Involuntarily deferred in committee.Sponsor: Wilford Carter
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 517 grants juveniles the right to a jury trial in juvenile court proceedings when charged with a felony-grade that constitutes a crime of violence or a sex offense. Current law excludes the right to a jury trial in all juvenile court proceedings.
Accused juvenile delinquents facing felony-grade charges involving violence or sex offenses gain the right to be tried before a jury in juvenile court, altering the legal adjudication process for these specific cases.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
juvenile offenders
Juveniles charged with specific felony-grade delinquent acts gain the right to a jury trial in juvenile court proceedings.
Key Facts
- Juveniles charged with a felony-grade delinquent act constituting a crime of violence or a sex offense are granted the right to a jury trial.
- Present law denies the right to a jury trial in all juvenile court proceedings.
- Crimes of violence are defined under R.S. 14:2(B) and sex offenses under R.S. 15:541.
- The measure amends and reenacts Children's Code Article 808.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do juveniles in Louisiana currently have the right to a jury trial?
What types of charges qualify a juvenile for a jury trial under HB 517?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
5 actions- May 19, 2026HouseInvoluntarily deferred in committee.
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 26, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 26, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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