Loyola New Orleans College of Law Mardi Gras History

In commemoration of the College of Law’s centennial, and with the carnival season at hand, the Law Library currently has on exhibit “Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Mardi Gras Traditions Over the Years”. Stop by the circulation desk to browse articles and photographs of the Mardi Gras celebration that the law school held each year starting in 1977. The tradition faded in the late 1990s, but with today’s parade, hopefully we will renew our annual Mardi Gras tradition.

And here’s an online version of the Powerpoint display running in conjunction with the exhibit:


Happy Mardi Gras!

The Legal History of Mardi Gras in Louisiana

As the Carnival Season is gearing up to full speed, and with Fat Tuesday two weeks from today, the law library has a new exhibit, “The Legal History of Mardi Gras in Louisiana.” It features some historic items from our collection, a summary of the Mardi Gras Krewe de-segretation legal battle of 1991-1992, and some humorous examples of how lawyers and the law are often the subject of parody and satire during Mardi Gras.

For those who can’t stop by and see it (and the exhibit comes down promptly on Ash Wednesday!) here is a slide show of the exhibit and some of the specific items in it.



(You'll need to advance the slides manually.) You can also view a full size version of the slide show.

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Today in 1991: Mardi Gras Krewes Desegregated

Twenty years ago today, the New Orleans City Council passed an ordinance that requires each Mardi Gras Krewe to provide an affidavit that they have:

“[N]o written or unwritten provision in its charter, bylaws, rules, regulations or policies which call for the refusal, withholding or denying of membership, or any of the services, accommodations, advantages, facilities or privilege offered by the respondent to members or others, because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or ancestry...” New Orleans City Code 34-3.

Mardi Gras Parades, Krewe Liability, and Assumption of Risk

Louisiana has a statute that may be unique in American law. Louisiana Revised Statutes § 9:2796, “Limitation of liability for loss connected with Mardi Gras parades and festivities; fair and festival parades,” does just that: it states that “no person shall have a cause of action against any krewe or organization” that participates in a Mardi Gras parade. It goes on to also state that anyone attending a parade “assumes the risk of being struck by any missile whatsoever which has been traditionally thrown, tossed, or hurled by members of the krewe” and that those “items shall include but are not limited to beads, cups, coconuts, and doubloons.” The only exception to both parts of this statute is if an injury is caused by “the deliberate and wanton act or gross negligence of the krewe or organization.”

Mardi Gras

As the season of Mardi Gras is upon us we would be remiss if we did not remind our patrons to beware of New Orleans Code 154-1036 - Parking in violation of Mardi Gras traffic plan.

(a)

No person shall stop or park a vehicle or other conveyance upon any street in the area of the Vieux Carre determined by the superintendent of police to be restricted as part of the Mardi Gras traffic plan between 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Mardi Gras Day and 6:00 a.m. on the Wednesday after Mardi Gras Day. This violation shall be enforced only after the following conditions are met by the superintendent of police: Barricades shall be erected at intersections entering the restricted area; due notice shall be published in the city's official journal; any flyers outlining the Mardi Gras traffic plan, its boundaries, and restrictions shall be distributed to the public.

(b)

Any person stopping or parking a vehicle or other conveyance on-street in violation of the Mardi Gras traffic plan shall be subject to a fine, as set forth in section 154-699.

(c)

Unoccupied vehicles of whatever kind or description may be immediately removed or impounded by any police officer or other person duly authorized when found stopped or parked in violation of the Mardi Gras traffic plan, as set forth in section 154-777.

For many other New Orleans Code sections please see our hard copy code near the reference desk or Municode.com