St. Helena Parish Criminal Court Records

St. Helena Parish criminal court records are filed and maintained by the Clerk of Court for the 20th Judicial District Court in Greensburg, the parish seat. St. Helena is a small, rural parish in southeastern Louisiana, and its criminal cases are handled by the 20th JDC, which serves St. Helena together with East Feliciana and West Feliciana parishes. Appeals from the 20th JDC go to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. This page explains how to find criminal records in St. Helena Parish, what online tools are available, and how in-person and mail requests work.

20th Judicial District Court and Clerk of Court

The 20th Judicial District Court serves three parishes: St. Helena, East Feliciana, and West Feliciana. The St. Helena Parish Clerk of Court in Greensburg handles criminal records for cases arising in St. Helena. Each parish in the 20th JDC has its own clerk's office, so records from East Feliciana or West Feliciana cases would be at those respective courthouses, not in Greensburg.

The St. Helena clerk's office in Greensburg maintains felony criminal case records, court minutes, docket entries, judgments, and sentencing orders. For in-person visits, bring a valid photo ID. Staff can search by defendant name or case number. Copy fees apply per page. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Call the clerk's office before visiting to confirm current hours and fees.

Background name searches are available through the clerk for a fee. Staff can also provide the correct forms for expungement petitions or certified copy requests. The clerk does not offer legal advice.

St. Helena Parish falls under the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal for criminal appeals. The 1st Circuit covers a large region of southeastern Louisiana including the Baton Rouge area parishes. Cases not resolved at the 1st Circuit can be appealed further to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

How to Search St. Helena Parish Criminal Records Online

Because St. Helena is a small rural parish, online search options are more limited than in larger parishes. The best free tool is the statewide criminal record index.

This statewide portal lets you search criminal case indexes by defendant name to find case numbers, charge descriptions, and basic docket information at no cost.

You can also try eClerks LA, the statewide criminal record index covering all 64 Louisiana parishes. Both portals provide index-level access at no charge. Neither includes document images. For actual filed documents, you would need to visit the clerk in person or contact the office about whether any remote request options are available.

Clerk Connect is a subscription service that covers multiple parishes. Check whether St. Helena Parish is included before signing up. Subscription options include daily, monthly, and annual plans.

Sealed records and juvenile case files are not available through any public online system. If a record does not appear in your search, it may be sealed, or it may simply not have been digitized yet if it is an older case from the paper records era.

In-Person and Mail Requests in St. Helena Parish

For records not available online, your primary option is visiting the 20th JDC Clerk of Court in Greensburg or sending a written mail request. St. Helena is a small parish, and the courthouse in Greensburg is the central location for all criminal court records in the parish.

Bring a valid photo ID for in-person visits. Have the defendant's full name and, if possible, an approximate date of court activity or case number. Staff will confirm what records exist and calculate copy fees. You pay at the time of the request or when you pick up copies.

For mail requests, address your letter to the Clerk of Court for the 20th Judicial District Court in Greensburg. Include the defendant's full name, approximate dates, case number if known, and the type of records you need. Send a check or money order for the expected copy fees. The clerk will reach out if more payment is required. Allow extra time for mail requests, especially for older records that may need to be pulled from archived files.

Under La. R.S. 44:32(A), Louisiana clerks must provide public records to any adult who asks. You do not need to state a reason. Records that are sealed or restricted by court order are the exception to this rule.

St. Helena Parish Sheriff Records

The St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, booking records, and incident reports for the parish. These records differ from the criminal court records at the 20th JDC clerk. Arrest records show who was booked and what charges were initially filed. They do not show how a case ended in court.

To get arrest or booking records, contact the Sheriff's Office directly. Arrest records are public under La. R.S. 44:1. A written request to the Records Division is standard. A per-page fee typically applies. Given the small size of the parish, the Sheriff's Office may have more limited hours than larger jurisdictions, so call ahead to confirm before making the trip to Greensburg.

For a full picture of a criminal matter, you generally need both the arrest record from the Sheriff and the case record from the clerk. These two sources cover different parts of the process from arrest through final disposition.

Louisiana State and Federal Resources

State and federal tools can fill in gaps when parish-level records alone are not enough.

The Louisiana State Police background check system costs $31. Under La. R.S. 15:587, Louisiana is a "closed record state," so the LSP check shows conviction data only. Arrests without convictions do not appear. This is the standard tool used by employers and housing providers for formal screening.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections offender search is free. You can look up current and past DOC inmates by name, see their custody status, and find release information. This covers people sentenced to state custody.

The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is free. Search by name or location to find registered sex offenders in St. Helena Parish.

St. Helena Parish falls under the Middle District of Louisiana for federal cases. Access federal court records through PACER at $0.10 per page, with a $3 cap per document. Most criminal matters in St. Helena Parish are handled at the state level.

The Louisiana Supreme Court website provides case information for matters appealed to the state's highest court, including those originating in the 20th JDC.

Expungement in St. Helena Parish

To have a criminal record removed from public access in St. Helena Parish, you file an expungement petition with the 20th JDC Clerk of Court in Greensburg. Louisiana expungement law is in La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and following sections. Not all records qualify. Dismissed cases, acquittals, and certain other outcomes may be eligible. Most felony convictions do not qualify.

Standard Louisiana expungement fees include $200 to the Clerk of Court, $250 to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, $50 to the District Attorney, and $50 to the Sheriff. Base total is roughly $550 before any attorney costs. You are not required to hire an attorney, but legal help can make the process easier.

Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony records are permanent. Misdemeanor records are kept at least 10 years. Traffic records are kept at least 3 years. An expungement seals the record from public databases but does not destroy it. Law enforcement retains access to sealed records. Public portals like eClerks LA will no longer show the record after the order is processed.

Cities in St. Helena Parish

St. Helena Parish is a rural parish with no large cities. Greensburg is the parish seat and the location of the courthouse. Montpelier and other small communities are scattered across the parish. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal court records for the parish are handled through the 20th JDC Clerk of Court in Greensburg.

Nearby Parishes

St. Helena Parish is bordered by Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Washington, and East Feliciana parishes.