Rule 48.0 Traffic Referees

If you get a traffic ticket, your case might be heard by a traffic referee instead of a judge. A traffic referee is a lawyer that the court appoints to handle certain traffic cases, specifically the ones listed under Louisiana's Children's Code article 953.

This means the person deciding your case may not be an elected judge, but they are still a qualified attorney given authority by the court to hear these specific matters. The referee's job is to review traffic cases and make decisions, just like a judge would in this type of case.