The Ruston City Marshal is the executive officer of the Ruston City Court and carries out the orders of the Ruston City Judge. The Marshal's duties pertain primarily to civil law, but also covers criminal law enforcement as well. The jurisdiction of the Ruston City Court and Marshal covers all of Lincoln Parish with a monetary jurisdiction of a maximum of fifty thousand dollars.
Some of the duties of the Marshal: collect fines imposed by the court and disburse these fines according to law; provide security in the courtroom; serve civil papers for the court; serve warrants as directed by the Judge; perform evictions, repossessions, sequestrations and Marshal's Sales; work wage garnishments, approving appearance bonds (cash, professional and property) and maintaining accurate records of these bonds; maintain accurate financial records according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
The Ruston City Marshal is an elected position, but works directly for the Ruston City Court. The office is funded by a portion of the fines collected on traffic tickets and criminal cases. This "portion" is set by the Judge with limits set by the Louisiana Legislature. The Marshal's salary is set by the Louisiana Legislature.
The Marshal has no authority to take action on civil cases without written orders from the Judge.
Click the below button for a brief history of the Ruston City Marshal's Office (a work in progress):