Imperial St. Landry Parish was goverened by a police jury, instead of a more traditional form of county government. The Jury can be best likened to a modern day form of feudalism. The nod and wink style of Louisiana politics worked well in these little fiefdoms where the jurors ruled through cronyism and favors. But it was only in modern times where attempts, most in vain, were made to reel in entrenched jurors.