Access Evangeline Parish Criminal Court Records

Evangeline Parish criminal court records are filed with the Clerk of Court in Ville Platte under the 13th Judicial District Court, which serves Evangeline Parish. This page explains how to search Evangeline Parish criminal court records online through eClerks LA and Clerk Connect, how to request copies from the clerk, and what records the local court system maintains for criminal cases in the parish.

Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court

The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court is at 200 Court Street, Suite 104, Ville Platte, Louisiana 70586. The mailing address is P.O. Drawer 347, Ville Platte, LA 70586. The office phone is (337) 363-5671. The clerk's website is www.evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com, where you can find local records access and contact information. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Clerk Randall M. "Randy" Deshotel runs the office, with Chief Deputy Patreace D. McGee assisting. The Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office can be reached at (337) 363-2161 for arrest and booking records that did not result in a court filing. For cases that went to court, the clerk's office in Ville Platte holds the case file.

The 13th Judicial District Court serves Evangeline Parish only. Appeals from 13th JDC cases go to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers south-central Louisiana parishes. If you need records from an appeal, those are held by the 3rd Circuit, separate from the district-level clerk in Ville Platte.

La. R.S. 44:1 establishes the public's right to inspect government records in Louisiana. La. R.S. 44:32(A) requires the clerk to make public records available to any adult without requiring a stated reason. These rights apply to Evangeline Parish criminal court records the same as they do anywhere in Louisiana.

City Court of Ville Platte

Evangeline Parish has a City Court of Ville Platte that handles misdemeanor cases, local ordinance violations, and traffic matters within the city limits of Ville Platte. This is separate from the 13th Judicial District Court, which handles felony cases and more serious criminal matters for the entire parish.

The City Court uses software systems called Resolution3 and Verdict from Cott Systems for case management. If you are looking for a misdemeanor or traffic matter originating in Ville Platte itself, it may be held in the City Court's records rather than the district court clerk's files. For felony cases or any case that originated outside Ville Platte city limits, the 13th JDC and the parish clerk's office are the right place to look.

When searching for a case and you are unsure whether it went through City Court or the district court, starting with eClerks LA is the most efficient approach. The statewide portal indexes records from both levels and will show you where the case was filed. From there you can contact the right office for more detail or copies.

Online Access to Evangeline Parish Criminal Court Records

The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court website provides access to local records tools and information about online search options for the parish.

The Evangeline Parish Clerk's website at evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com offers access to records resources and contact information for the clerk's office in Ville Platte.

The primary statewide tool is the eClerks LA portal, which provides free index-level criminal record searches for all 64 Louisiana parishes including Evangeline. You can search by name or case number and get basic case details like charges, filing dates, and dispositions without creating an account. This is a good starting point for any search of Evangeline Parish criminal court records.

The clerk's office uses the Resolution3 and Verdict systems from Cott Systems for its own internal case management. These systems feed into the broader eClerks LA and Clerk Connect networks. If you need more than the free index search, Clerk Connect offers deeper document access through subscription plans.

Clerk Connect provides subscription-based access to Evangeline Parish criminal court documents beyond the free index search available through eClerks LA.

The eClerks LA portal is also available with monitoring alerts for active cases. If you need to track an open Evangeline Parish criminal case over time, you can set up an alert through the portal to be notified when new filings or events appear on the docket. This saves repeated manual checks and is useful for anyone with an ongoing interest in a specific case.

The eClerks LA statewide portal offers free index searches for Evangeline Parish criminal court records across all judicial levels.

Online Subscription Tiers

For users who need regular access to Evangeline Parish criminal court records, the clerk's office offers several paid subscription options. A daily subscription costs $20. A monthly plan runs $75. A six-month subscription is $400, and an annual subscription is $750. These rates apply to the local subscription portal maintained through the Cott Systems platform used by the clerk's office.

Clerk Connect subscriptions cover Evangeline Parish as part of the broader multi-parish network and may offer different pricing tiers depending on how many parishes you need to access. If you focus mainly on Evangeline Parish records, the local subscription plan may be simpler. If you need to search across multiple south-central Louisiana parishes regularly, a Clerk Connect subscription may be more efficient. Both options give document-level access beyond the free eClerks index.

In-Person and Mail Requests

To request Evangeline Parish criminal court records in person, go to 200 Court Street, Suite 104, Ville Platte, LA 70586 during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring the defendant's full name, a case number if you have it, and any approximate date range. Staff can help locate files using the clerk's case management system.

Copy fees at Evangeline Parish follow standard Louisiana clerk rates. Uncertified copies are typically $1 per page. Certified copies include the clerk's official seal and cost more per page. For legal uses that require certified copies, such as submitting a record to another court or government office, make sure to specify that you need certified versions when you request them.

For mail requests, send written requests to P.O. Drawer 347, Ville Platte, LA 70586. Include the name, case number or date range, and a check or money order for estimated copy costs. If you are not sure of the exact amount, calling (337) 363-5671 first to get a copy fee estimate prevents delays from underpayment. Mail processing time varies with office workload, so build in extra time if you have a deadline.

Types of Criminal Records and Retention Rules

Evangeline Parish criminal court files include charging instruments, docket sheets, bond documents, pleadings and motions, judicial rulings, sentencing orders, and case dispositions. Docket sheets are the most efficient starting point for a case overview. They list every court action from filing to final outcome and can be requested separately from the full case file.

Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony conviction records in Evangeline Parish are kept permanently. Misdemeanor records must be retained for at least 10 years. Traffic records have a minimum three-year retention. Juvenile records are sealed and not accessible through public records requests. A court order from the 13th JDC is required to access any sealed or juvenile record in Evangeline Parish. Expunged records under La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 are also removed from public access once the court grants the petition, though law enforcement retains access.

State-Level and Federal Criminal Record Resources

The Louisiana State Police background check at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov costs $31 and provides a certified statewide criminal history under La. R.S. 15:578. Louisiana is a closed record state under La. R.S. 15:587, so arrests without convictions do not appear in the official check. The DOC Offender Search at doc.louisiana.gov is free and covers people sentenced to state custody from Evangeline Parish. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name or location.

For federal criminal cases, use PACER. Evangeline Parish falls under the Western District of Louisiana for federal court purposes, and federal cases in this region are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. PACER charges $0.10 per page with a $3 cap per document and requires an account to access records.

Expungement in Evangeline Parish

Expungements in Evangeline Parish go through the 13th Judicial District Court under La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971. Standard fees are $200 to the clerk, $250 to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, $50 to the district attorney, and $50 to the sheriff. The total is $550 in filing fees, not counting attorney costs if you hire help. Once granted, the expunged record is removed from public search tools including eClerks LA. Law enforcement agencies still have access under restricted conditions. Juvenile records in Evangeline Parish are sealed by default and are not part of the public criminal records system.

Cities in Evangeline Parish

Ville Platte is the parish seat of Evangeline Parish and the center of both district court and city court activity. Other communities include Mamou, Basile, and Pine Prairie. None of the cities in Evangeline Parish meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal cases from throughout Evangeline Parish, whether filed at the district court or city court level, are accessible through the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court in Ville Platte.

Nearby Parishes

Evangeline Parish is in south-central Louisiana and borders several other parishes. Each has its own clerk of court and may fall under a different judicial district.