The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 219 Allows Resentencing Reviews for Defendants Convicted by Non-Unanimous Juries
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Sponsor: Charles Owen
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
Louisiana House Bill 219 permits individuals currently serving felony sentences resulting from s to file a motion for resentencing in district court no later than August 1, 2027. Under the measure, judges may vacate original sentences, conduct resentencing hearings, grant full credit for time served, and establish parole eligibility.
Inmates serving maximum sentences from non-unanimous jury convictions gain a legal mechanism to seek reduced terms and parole consideration, while district courts and prosecutors must manage review requests and resentencing hearings.
- In the 2020 decision Ramos v. Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state juries must be unanimous to convict a defendant of a serious offense. context
- The Louisiana Supreme Court subsequently ruled in State v. Reddick that the Ramos ruling did not apply retroactively on state post-conviction review, noting that the legislature could act to expand eligibility. context
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.
Defendants with non-unanimous jury convictions
Inmates and parolees serving felony sentences from non-unanimous verdicts gain the right to file for sentence review, resentencing, and parole consideration.
District attorneys
Prosecutors must review resentencing motions, file oppositions within specified deadlines, and present evidence if seeking to rebut sentencing presumptions.
Crime victims
Victims must be notified of resentencing hearings and are granted the right to attend and submit oral or written impact statements.
Key Facts
- Defendants serving a prison sentence or on parole supervision for a felony conviction returned by a non-unanimous jury may seek review by filing a motion for resentencing in district court no later than August 1, 2027.
- The provisions do not apply to convictions for which the imposed sentence has been fully served.
- If the court finds the defendant was convicted of a felony by a non-unanimous verdict, is still under sentence, and the district attorney has not noticed an intent to retry, the court must order a resentencing hearing.
- A contradictory hearing on the motion for resentencing must be set not less than sixty days after filing, with notice served on all parties and the victim at least thirty days prior.
Show all 9 facts
- Crime victims have the right to be present and to submit written or oral impact statements at the hearing.
- There is a rebuttable presumption that a new sentence no greater than the maximum term for the most serious lesser included offense under Article 814 is proper.
- The district attorney may rebut the presumption by establishing by clear and convincing evidence that a sentence equal to one and one-half times the maximum for the lesser included offense is warranted.
- No sentence imposed under this Article may be enhanced nor used to enhance any prior conviction as a habitual offender.
- Defendants receive full credit for all time served, and the court may set provisions regarding parole eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to seek a sentence review under House Bill 219?
What is the deadline for filing a motion for resentencing?
Can crime victims participate in the resentencing process?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
- Feb 19, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 19, 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 →Voting Record
Defer Voluntary
Total
9
- Yes
- 9
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Legislative Response to State v. Reddick
The bill directly responds to the Louisiana Supreme Court's ruling in State v. Reddick by establishing a statutory framework for post-conviction review that the court noted the legislature could create.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools