RS 9:3182 Impanelling of jury, procedures and verdict
§3182. Impanelling of jury, procedures and verdict
Immediately after the order shall have been made by the Judge, it shall be the duty of the Clerk and Sheriff to make a list of fifty freeholders, residents of the parish in which the land lies, and not interested in the issue to be tried, from which list thirty-six freeholders shall be drawn and summoned to attend on the day fixed in the order of court, provided that the summons shall be served on the freeholders not less than five calendar days, prior to the date fixed for attendance. And from the thirty-six freeholders so summoned, a jury of twelve shall be empaneled, which shall, by a verdict in which at least three-fourths of their number shall concur, determine, after hearing the parties and their evidence, what is the value of the land described in the petition with its improvements, and what damages, if any, the owner would sustain, in addition to the loss of the land, by its expropriation. If, for any reason, a jury cannot be empaneled from the thirty-six freeholders whose names are drawn as above set forth, then, from the remaining fourteen freeholders, the court shall have the right to summon as many additional freeholders as the court may deem necessary to complete the empanelling of the jury. In empanelling the jury, either party may challenge for cause and each party shall be entitled to the same number of peremptory challenges as is allowed by law in the trial of ordinary civil suits.
Amended by Acts 1936, No. 276; Acts 1940, No. 187; Redesignated by Acts 1993, No. 841, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1995.