ADDIS - The City of Addis is making a major change to its justice system. Instead of the mayor presiding over cases, a newly created magistrate court will now take over.

Mayor’s courts are common in small towns across Louisiana, but officials in Addis say the system has been under fire for years.

“Mayor’s court is always under attack. They feel like the mayor controls the budget and can assess fines,” Mayor David Toups said in a statement to WBRZ.

Under the new system, longtime town attorney Dana Larpenter will serve as magistrate. Larpenter, who recently retired after 48 years as attorney for Addis, said the idea has been on the table for years but gained traction as lawmakers ramped up criticism of mayor’s courts.

“The mayor and council talked to me, they’ve been wanting to establish

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