City of Kenner; appointment of court magistrates; duties; prosecuting attorney; information; animal hearing officer

A. The city council of the city of Kenner shall, upon request of the mayor, appoint one or more attorneys who shall be designated as court magistrates and who shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor and may from time to time be designated by the mayor to serve in his stead as the presiding official over the mayor's court. Whenever a magistrate is so designated by the mayor to preside over the mayor's court, he shall exercise the powers and authority of the mayor over said court. Each appointed magistrate shall serve at a salary fixed and paid by the city council. B. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, "an information" as used in this Subsection is a written accusation of crime made by the prosecuting attorney in the mayor's court in the city of Kenner. It must be filed in open court in the mayor's court having jurisdiction to try the offense or in the office of the clerk thereof. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a prosecution for violation of an ordinance in the mayor's court in the city of Kenner may be instituted by an affidavit or an information charging any offense. (3) The clerk of court for the city of Kenner may use an electronic signature, stamp, or other such facsimile of the signature of the prosecuting attorney to affix the prosecuting attorney's signature to bills of information in the mayor's court for the city of Kenner. C. (1) The office of animal hearing officer of the mayor's court of the city of Kenner is hereby created. The city council of the city of Kenner shall, upon request of the mayor, appoint an animal hearing officer for the court as provided in this Subsection. (2) The animal hearing officer shall be selected by the city council to serve at the pleasure, discretion, and direction of the council for a period of twelve months. He may be reappointed. (3) The animal hearing officer shall possess the same qualifications for office as a magistrate for the mayor's court of the city of Kenner. (4) The magistrate of the mayor's court may also be appointed as the animal hearing officer, and such appointment shall not constitute dual officeholding. (5) The salary of the animal hearing officer shall be set by the city council. If the magistrate of the mayor's court is appointed animal hearing officer, there shall be no additional compensation beyond the compensation provided for the magistrate. (6) An animal hearing officer may engage in the practice of law and in any other business, occupation, or employment not inconsistent with the expeditious, proper, and impartial performance of his duties as animal hearing officer. Any questions regarding the propriety of other business, occupation, or employment by an animal hearing officer shall be determined by the appointing city council. (7) The animal hearing officer shall have criminal jurisdiction over violations of municipal ordinances relating to crimes involving nuisance and vicious or dangerous animals committed within the territorial boundaries of the city of Kenner. Additionally, the animal hearing officer shall have the authority to declare any animal vicious, dangerous, or to determine the disposition of the animal, including humane euthanasia, if warranted.