The contents of the individual suit records vary greatly. The majority of the Orleans County Court records consist of a single sheet, and provide only the defendant's name and occupation, the charge, the date, and the name of the victim or an inventory of stolen property. Often some information about the outcome of the case is written on the back of the bill. The records from City Court often offer more detailed information in addition to the basics mentioned above. For instance, they may include some of the following: bond documents, search or arrest warrants, statements of testimony, or orders to the sheriff to incarcerate a prisoner. The records contain neither transcripts of the trial nor, in most cases, detailed information about the charge beyond the largely formulaic statement found in each suit record. In general, official documents like bills of information, indictments, and warrants are in English, while statements of testimony are very often in French.  

Because the City Court was authorized to try -- by special tribunal -- capital cases involving slaves, the suit records contain cases related both to a slave revolt of significant magnitude which occurred in 1811 and to a conspiracy among New Orleans slaves in 1812. These suit records illustrate how justice functioned differently for slaves than for free people, and contain unusually detailed information concerning the verdicts and sentences reached by the tribunals. Approximately 40 of the 232 cases deal with these revolts or with other cases of slave discipline, while approximately 70 of the bills of information or indictment charge the defendants with assault and battery, about 65 with larceny, and about 10 charge the defendant with fraud or swindling. The remaining cases involve more idiosyncratic charges. 

A typical example of a case related to the 1811 revolt is City Court #185, Territory v. Guery or Gery, the slave of James Fortier. The charge is insurrection. The case record consists of two documents, an arrest warrant and a bill of information. The arrest warrant names two other defendants besides Gery -- they were tried separately. The warrant notes that the three slaves were arrested and further calls for the summoning of five "good and lawful freeholders of the City of New Orleans" to act as a tribunal in the case: Messrs. De La Croix, Bellechasse, Duverge, Livaudais, and Lanusse. The document is dated January 16, 1811 and signed "John Drouillard, deputy Sheriff." Bellechasse also had a slave on trial for insurrection. 

Also on the warrant is the Clerk of Court Thomas S. Kennedy's order for the sheriff to call the tribunal. The qualifications to serve on the tribunal are reproduced from the legislation that established the tribunal system. Neither the proprietor of the slave, nor any relation of the owner within four degrees of consanguinity, may serve on the tribunal (Or. Terr. A., 1806, XXXVI, secs 1, 22). The charge of insurrection is stated formally: "having made or caused to be made an insurrection in the Territory of Orleans, or having been an accomplice, aider and abettor of persons making or causing to be made an insurrection in the said Territory." The front of the bill of information is in French, but the verdict and sentence are written on the back in English, signed by the five members of the tribunal and approved by City Court Judge L. Moreau Lislet, as shown in the image above.

 The case records have been flattened, but many are fragile or have separated into several pieces. An inventory of the records and of five folders of miscellaneous documents is available.

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8/1997-- dmascari; updated 8/25/2007