Old Louisiana State Capitol the old capitol building. The term "Old State Capitol" in Louisiana is used to refer to the building and not to the two towns that were formerly the capital city: New Orleans and Donaldsonville. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 12, 1973, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 30, 1974. In 1846, the state legislature in New Orleans decided to move the seat of government to Baton Rouge. As in many states, representatives from other parts of Louisiana feared a concentration of power in the state's largest city. In 1840,
Capital punishment in Louisiana Capital punishment in Louisiana Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the U.S. state of Louisiana. When the prosecution seeks the death penalty, the sentence is decided by the jury. In case of a hung jury during the penalty phase of the trial, a life sentence is issued, even if a single juror opposed death (there is no retrial). The governor may commute death sentences with advice and consent of the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole. He doesn't need such consent for issuing a mere stay of execution. The male death row is at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in