COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF FATALITIES CAUSED BY DOMESTIC ABUSE

New Orleans City Code ch. 82, art. XIV

in effect

New Orleans City Code § 82-710 Purpose.

Sec. 82-710. - Purpose. The purpose of this article is to increase the city's capacity to comprehensively review and understand the causes of domestic abuse fatalities, in an effort to better protect public health and safety. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-711 Definitions

Sec. 82-711. - Definitions For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings: Domestic abuse means physical or sexual abuse and any offense against the person, physical or non-physical, as defined in the Louisiana Criminal Code, except negligent injury and defamation, committed by one family member, household member, or dating partner against another. Domestic abuse fatality means any of the following: (1) All homicides in which the victim was a current or former intimate partner of the perpetrator. (2) Homicides in which the victim was a family member of the perpetrator, which occur in the context of family violence. (3) Homicides in which the victim was someone other than the perpetrator's intimate partner, but which occur in the context of domestic abuse or in the context of a perpetrator attempting to kill an intimate partner (i.e., friend, family member, new intimate partner, law enforcement). (4) Homicides occurring as an extension of or in response to ongoing intimate partner abuse (i.e., revenge killing of children). (5) Suicides which may be a response to domestic abuse. Review means an examination or re-examination of information regarding a deceased person from relevant agencies, professionals, healthcare providers, or other sources. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-712 New Orleans Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Team.

Sec. 82-712. - New Orleans Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Team. Under the direction of the department of health, the New Orleans Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Team is hereby established. The review team shall be composed of a representative from each the following entities: (1) New Orleans Police Department, (2) New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, (3) Orleans Parish Communications District, (4) Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, (5) Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, (6) Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, (7) Orleans Parish Public Defender's Office, and (8) New Orleans Family Justice Center. On an as needed basis, the health department may also invite other community-based domestic abuse service organizations, state agencies, local universities or colleges, batterer intervention programs, local hospital and medical organizations, community-based civil legal service agencies, and experts with relevant knowledge regarding domestic abuse to participate in the review team. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-713 Meetings of the review team.

Sec. 82-713. - Meetings of the review team. The department will convene the review team at least four times per year on a quarterly basis. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-714 Domestic abuse fatality review.

Sec. 82-714. - Domestic abuse fatality review. Under the supervision of the director of the department of health, department of health shall: (1) Establish policies and procedures for identifying and examining domestic abuse fatalities; and (2) Develop and maintain a de-identified parish-specific database of domestic abuse fatalities; and (3) Review all domestic abuse fatalities that have occurred in New Orleans on an annual basis; and (4) Characterize the scope and nature of domestic abuse fatalities in New Orleans; and (5) Initiate strategies for intervention and prevention of domestic abuse based on the findings of domestic abuse fatality reviews; and (6) Publish and disseminate findings and recommendations in an annual report. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-715 Access to information and requests for same.

Sec. 82-715. - Access to information and requests for same. In fulfilling the duties in the prior section, the Department of Health, notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary, shall: 1. Be authorized to access available information, records, and documents pertaining to a domestic abuse fatality which would aid the review in fulfilling its duties, including but not limited to: a. Case facts including but not limited to: demographic information about the victim and perpetrator (gender, age, race, employment status, education, income level, parish of residence), location of the event, relationship of the parties involved in the fatal event, cause of death, lethality indicators, and community services requested, received, or refused by the victim and perpetrator; b. Case documents, including but not limited to: adoption records, animal control reports, autopsy/medical examiner reports, Batterer Intervention Program reports, child protection service records, child support records, court files (criminal, civil, family, juvenile), court advocate records, domestic violence shelter/service records, employment records, faith community interviews, family genograms, former intimate partner interviews, housing/landlord records (maintenance/neighbor complaints), insurance policies, juvenile records, law enforcement reports (all incident reports/911 tapes), marriage counseling records, medical/dental records, medical provider interviews, mental health records, military records, criminal history records, probation and parole records, newspaper articles/media accounts, pretrial service records, prosecution records, school records, security guard interviews, service records from other communities, social services records, suicide intervention reports, victim advocate records, weapons records, witness/neighbor/family interviews. (2) Make requests in writing for the information sought to any person, agency, or entity with information. The person, agency, or entity that has the information may rely on the reason for the request in determining whether information may be disclosed thereto. While the person, agency, or entity that has the information requested shall not be required to disclose information, the intent is to allow the voluntary disclosure of information by the person, agency, or entity that has the information. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-716 Records to be kept confidential.

Sec. 82-716. - Records to be kept confidential. (a) Information, records, and documents obtained by the department as well as all activities, including any discussions or sharing of documents related to fatality reviews, shall be confidential and shall not be available for subpoena, nor shall information be disclosed, discoverable, or compelled to be produced in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding, nor shall such records be deemed admissible as evidence in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other tribunal court for any reason. (b) Information and records presented to the department as part of these responsibilities, shall not be immune from subpoena, discovery, or prohibited from being introduced into evidence solely because they were presented to or reviewed by the department if the information and records have been obtained from other sources. The furnishing of confidential information, documents, and reports by any person, agency, or entity furnishing such information, documents, and reports shall not expose such person, agency, or entity to liability and shall not be considered a violation of any privileged or confidential relationship, provided the person, agency, or entity has acted in good faith in the reporting. (c) The department shall not disclose the information identifying a victim of domestic abuse whose case is being reviewed, or that person's family members, or an alleged or suspected perpetrator of abuse upon the victim, or regarding the involvement of any agency with the victim or the victim's family members in any report that is available to the public, but nothing shall prohibit the department from publishing statistical compilations related to domestic abuse fatalities that do not identify individual cases or individual practitioners, agencies, or organizations. (d) The department shall conclude all reviews of domestic abuse-related fatalities by returning all information and records concerning the victim and the victim's family members to the person, agency, or entity that provided the information. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

New Orleans City Code § 82-717 Regulations.

Sec. 82-717. - Regulations. Pursuant to section 2-1000 of the City Code, the department of health may promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with this article as necessary for the purpose of implementing and carrying out the provisions of this article. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 29059, § 1, 6-9-22)

Source: City of New Orleans, Code of Ordinances and Home Rule Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/la/new_orleans/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH82HESA_ARTXIVCOREFACADOABFetched: 10/28/2026