Judge Sets December Trial Date for DA Hillar Moore Funding Lawsuit

A Baton Rouge judge has officially scheduled a December trial for East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore’s high-stakes funding lawsuit against parish officials, WBRZ reported. District Attorney Hillar Moore’s funding lawsuit will continue after Baton Rouge Judge Tarvald Smith shot down local government efforts to toss the case, as reported by The Advocate.

Moore filed the lawsuit in April seeking millions of dollars in additional operational funding from East Baton Rouge Parish, Mayor-Sid Edwards, and the Metro Council, according to court documents cited by WBRZ. While Moore’s office currently receives roughly $8 million to $9 million annually, the district attorney argues that the constitution requires closer to $22 million to properly run the department, The Advocate reported.

City-Parish Attorneys Urge Judge to Dismiss Litigation

During Thursday’s motion arguments, attorneys representing the city-parish urged Judge Smith to dismiss the litigation entirely. Parish lawyers argued that Moore lacked the legal standing to sue under constitutional funding mandates, pointing to state laws from the 1950s and 1960s that tied prosecutor salaries to historical wage scales. They also argued against fast-tracking the litigation as a summary proceeding.

Photo: theadvocate.com

“We don’t have $14 million just laying around to give Hillar, as much as everybody loves him,” attorney Brett Furr argued in court on behalf of the city-parish, as noted by The Advocate. City-parish attorneys also attempted to convert the lawsuit into ordinary proceedings and sought to force other incorporated municipalities—such as St. George, Baker, Central, and Zachary—into the legal battle. However, higher courts recently kept those cities out of the matter, and the Louisiana Supreme Court declined late last month to hear arguments regarding adding more municipal defendants, WBRZ and The Advocate reported.

Judge Smith rejected the local government’s requests, citing conflicting appellate and state supreme court rulings. Consequently, the judge scheduled a two-day trial for Dec. 14 and 16, keeping the case on an expedited summary track.

St. George Incorporation Drives Financial Dispute

The core of the financial dispute traces back to the incorporation of St. George. After the state Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that St. George could incorporate, the broader parish government lost tens of millions in sales tax revenue previously dedicated to funding critical offices like the district attorney, parish prison, coroner, and local courts, according to The Advocate. Thursday’s court arguments coincided with Mayor-Sid Edwards preparing to present the 2027 budget to the Metro Council.

Despite the fast-tracked litigation, Moore indicated that legal avenues do not close the door on a settlement. “In between, we’re still trying to resolve the matter with the city government before it goes to trial,” Moore said, according to WBRZ.

The two-day trial is formally set to begin on Dec. 14, though city-parish representatives retain the option to appeal Judge Smith’s denial of their motion to dismiss.