Search Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court Records

Pointe Coupee Parish criminal court records are filed through the 18th Judicial District Court in New Roads, one of Louisiana's oldest courthouses with records dating back to 1771. This page covers the online tools, in-person options, and state-level resources for searching Pointe Coupee Parish criminal court records, whether you are looking for a recent case or a much older one.

The 18th Judicial District Court

The 18th Judicial District serves three parishes: Iberville, West Baton Rouge, and Pointe Coupee. Criminal cases that originate in Pointe Coupee Parish are handled at the courthouse in New Roads, the parish seat. The Clerk of Court for Pointe Coupee Parish is Lanell Swindler Landry, who oversees all filings, record access, and copies at that location.

Because the 18th JDC covers three parishes, the district court has a presence in each. But if your case was filed in Pointe Coupee, the New Roads courthouse is where you direct in-person requests, mail requests, and any questions about the local docket. Cases from the 18th JDC can be appealed to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, which hears matters from south Louisiana parishes. If you need records from an appeal, you would look to the 1st Circuit separately from the district-level files.

La. R.S. 44:1 establishes the right of the public to access government records in Louisiana. Under La. R.S. 44:32(A), the clerk of court must make records available to any adult who asks. You do not need to be a party to the case or give a reason for your request.

Historic Records and Preservation Efforts

Few parish clerks in Louisiana can say their records go back to 1771. Pointe Coupee Parish is one of the rare exceptions. The clerk's office holds criminal records, docket books, and judicial proceedings from the colonial era forward. Many of these older documents have been fragile for a long time, and the office has been working to preserve them through a combination of techniques.

Active preservation methods include deacidification, which neutralizes the acids in old paper that cause it to break down over time. Encapsulation places fragile documents inside protective polyester sleeves. On top of that, the office has undertaken digital scanning to create electronic copies of records before the originals deteriorate further. This means some older criminal court records that might not show up in modern online portals may still be accessible by contacting the clerk's office directly to ask about archived or pre-digital materials.

If you are doing research on a case or event from many decades ago, or even from the 19th century, Pointe Coupee Parish is one of the few places in Louisiana where such a search might actually yield something. Call ahead to confirm what years are digitized versus what must be reviewed in person.

How to Search Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court Records Online

The main online tool for Pointe Coupee Parish criminal court records is eClerks LA. The eClerks LA statewide portal covers all 64 Louisiana parishes and lets you search adult criminal case records at no cost. You can search by name or by case number and pull up basic information like charges, filing dates, and case dispositions.

Below is a screenshot of the eClerks LA portal used for Pointe Coupee Parish criminal court records searches.

The portal gives you index-level access. For complete documents or certified copies, you still need to contact the clerk's office in New Roads.

eClerks LA is useful for confirming whether a case exists and getting the basic facts. It does not give you full scanned documents, and it does not cover juvenile records, which are sealed under Louisiana law. For older cases that predate the digital era, eClerks LA may not have a record even if one exists on paper at the courthouse. Always follow up with the clerk's office if an online search does not return what you expect.

In-Person and Mail Requests

To request records in person, visit the Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse in New Roads. The Clerk of Court's office handles case files, docket sheets, and certified copies. Bring as much identifying information as you can, including the full name of the person involved and any known case number or approximate date of the case. Staff can search by name if you don't have a case number.

Mail requests are also an option. Write to the Pointe Coupee Parish Clerk of Court in New Roads, include a check or money order for copy fees, and describe the record you need. Standard Louisiana clerk copy rates apply. Uncertified copies typically run around $1 per page, while certified copies cost more and carry the clerk's official seal. Processing time depends on staff availability and the complexity of your request.

Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony conviction records are kept permanently. Misdemeanor records are retained for at least 10 years. This matters for older case searches because not all records have the same retention schedule. When in doubt, call the office to ask before making the trip.

State-Level Criminal Record Tools

If you need a broader criminal record check that goes beyond a single parish, Louisiana provides several state-level tools.

The Louisiana State Police runs the state's central criminal record repository under La. R.S. 15:578. Their background check service at LSP's background check portal costs $31 and produces an official compiled record. Louisiana is a closed record state under La. R.S. 15:587, so this report only includes convictions, not arrests that did not result in a guilty finding. It covers statewide data, including cases from Pointe Coupee Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections offers the DOC Offender Search at no charge. It shows current and former DOC-supervised individuals, which is useful if you know someone received a state prison sentence after a case in Pointe Coupee. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is also free to search by name or location and covers registered offenders statewide.

For federal criminal cases, PACER is the right tool. Pointe Coupee Parish falls under the Middle District of Louisiana for federal court purposes. That district's records are separate from the state court records at the 18th JDC.

Expungement in Pointe Coupee Parish

Expungement in Louisiana is governed by La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and related articles. Filing a motion for expungement in Pointe Coupee Parish means going through the 18th JDC in New Roads. Not all records qualify. First-time non-violent offenders who have completed their sentence are often eligible. Arrests that did not result in a conviction may qualify on a shorter timeline.

The required fees for expungement include: $200 to the clerk of court, $250 to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, $50 to the district attorney's office, and $50 to the sheriff. These fees are set by Louisiana law and apply throughout the state. Once an expungement is granted, the record is removed from public access tools like eClerks LA. Law enforcement agencies can still see the record in certain circumstances, but it will not show up in standard public searches or at the clerk's office public counter.

Cities in Pointe Coupee Parish

New Roads is the parish seat and the largest city in Pointe Coupee Parish. Other communities include Livonia, Fordoche, and Morganza. None of the cities in Pointe Coupee Parish meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal court cases from any part of the parish, regardless of the specific town or community, are filed through the Pointe Coupee Parish Clerk of Court in New Roads.

Nearby Parishes

Pointe Coupee Parish sits along the Mississippi River in central Louisiana and shares borders with several other parishes, each with its own clerk of court and judicial district.