The Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court issued an administrative order. It said that, when judges issue arrest warrants they should establish an amount of bond. Afterward, no other judge can change the amount without the first judge's permission. One judge issued a warrant for Norris' arrest and established bond at $20,000. Norris appeared before another judge who said reasonable bond should have been no more than $1,500 but could not be reduced to this amount due to the administrative order. Norris petitioned the Fifth District, which reversed and quashed the administrative order.