Art. 613 Jurisdiction of court where body of water is parish boundary

If a crime happens on a river, lake, bayou, or other body of water that separates two parishes, this rule decides which parish's court has authority over the case. The court's power reaches out to the exact middle of that body of water.

So if the boundary between two parishes runs through a river, each parish's court has jurisdiction over its half, up to the midpoint. This matters when a crime occurs on the water itself, like on a boat, since it helps determine which court can hear the case.

In short, the middle of the river or lake acts like an invisible line. Whatever happens on one side of that line falls under the courts of the parish on that side.