St. Mary Parish Criminal Court Records

St. Mary Parish criminal court records are filed and kept by the Clerk of Court for the 16th Judicial District Court, located at the courthouse in Franklin, the parish seat. The 16th JDC covers three parishes: St. Mary, Iberia, and St. Martin. All felony criminal cases in St. Mary Parish go through the 16th JDC, and appeals go to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. This page explains how to find criminal case records in St. Mary Parish, what the clerk's office provides, what online search tools exist, and where to go for state and federal resources.

16th Judicial District Court Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court for the 16th JDC in St. Mary Parish is Greg Aucoin. The main office is at 500 Main Street, Courthouse, 2nd Floor, Franklin, LA 70538. The mailing address is P.O. Drawer 1231, Franklin, LA 70538. You can reach the office by phone at (337) 828-4100 ext. 200, or by fax at (337) 828-2509. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The clerk holds criminal case records for all felony matters arising in St. Mary Parish, including charges, court minutes, docket entries, judgments, and sentencing orders. Each of the three 16th JDC parishes has its own clerk's office, so records from Iberia or St. Martin cases are held at their respective courthouses, not in Franklin.

For in-person visits, bring a valid photo ID. Staff can search records by defendant name or case number. Copy fees apply per page. Certified copies carry an additional charge. Call ahead if you plan to visit in the afternoon, as some offices close early for lunch or limit afternoon walk-in hours. The clerk does not give legal advice but can supply the correct forms for expungement petitions, certified copies, and other filings.

The 16th JDC falls under the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal for appeals from St. Mary Parish criminal convictions. The 1st Circuit covers a broad swath of southeastern Louisiana and sits in Baton Rouge.

How to Search St. Mary Parish Criminal Records Online

The clerk's office offers an ESearch portal through its website for online access to case indexes. This allows remote searching without a trip to the courthouse. Check with the clerk's office for current login instructions and any fees associated with the ESearch system.

Through this statewide portal, you can search criminal case indexes by defendant name to find case numbers, charge types, and basic docket information without paying a fee.

You can also use eClerks LA, the free statewide criminal record index covering all 64 Louisiana parishes. Both tools provide index-level access. Neither includes document images. For actual filed documents, visit the clerk in person or contact the office about whether remote document requests are available.

Clerk Connect offers subscription access to criminal case records and document images across multiple Louisiana parishes. Confirm whether St. Mary Parish is in their current coverage before subscribing. Plans range from daily to annual subscriptions.

Sealed records and juvenile case files are not accessible through any public online system. If you cannot find a case that you know exists, it may be sealed or it could be in an older paper record not yet digitized.

City Courts in St. Mary Parish

St. Mary Parish has two city courts that handle lower-level criminal matters within their city limits. These courts deal with misdemeanors, traffic violations, and city ordinance cases. Their records are separate from the 16th JDC clerk's records.

Franklin City Court is at 508 1/2 Second Street, Franklin, LA 70538. The phone number is (337) 828-3858. This court handles cases from inside Franklin city limits. Contact Franklin City Court directly for records from cases handled there.

The City Court of Morgan City is at 7261 Hwy 182 East, Morgan City, LA 70381. The number is (985) 384-2718. Morgan City is the other major population center in St. Mary Parish. The City Court handles misdemeanor and traffic matters for Morgan City residents. Those records are kept by city court staff, not the parish clerk.

If you are not sure which court handled a case, consider the type of charge and the city where the incident occurred. Felonies go to the 16th JDC. Misdemeanors and traffic cases may end up at the city court level depending on the location of the offense.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Records

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office main location is at 500 Main Street, 4th Floor, Franklin, LA 70538. The phone number is (337) 828-1960. A branch office serves the Morgan City area at 1455 Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, LA 70381, reachable at (985) 384-2718.

The Sheriff maintains arrest records, booking records, and incident reports. These are separate from court case records held by the 16th JDC clerk. Arrest records show who was booked and what charges were initially filed. They do not show how a case ended in court. An inmate roster is also available through the Sheriff's Office for those currently in custody.

Arrest records are public under La. R.S. 44:1. Submit a written request to the Records Division. A per-page copy fee typically applies. Call ahead to confirm current hours, fees, and which office handles the records you need.

Louisiana State and Federal Resources

State and federal databases can add detail beyond what is available at the parish level.

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 returns conviction data only. Arrests without convictions do not show up. This is the tool most employers and housing providers use for formal screening purposes.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections offender search is free. Search by name to find current and past DOC inmates, their custody status, facility location, and release dates. This covers people who were sentenced to state custody under Louisiana DOC.

The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is free. Search by name or location for registered sex offenders in St. Mary Parish.

St. Mary Parish falls under the Western District of Louisiana for federal criminal cases. Access those records through PACER at $0.10 per page, with a $3 cap per document. Federal charges in St. Mary Parish may arise in cases connected to the port and waterways in the Morgan City area.

The Louisiana Supreme Court website provides information on appeals that have reached the state's highest court, including cases originating in the 16th JDC.

Expungement in St. Mary Parish

To have a criminal record removed from public access in St. Mary Parish, you file an expungement petition with the 16th JDC Clerk of Court at 500 Main Street in Franklin. Louisiana expungement law is found in La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and following sections. Not all records qualify. Cases that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or meet other specific statutory criteria may be eligible. Most felony convictions do not qualify.

Standard Louisiana expungement fees are $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. Total base cost is roughly $550. Attorney fees are additional if you choose legal help, though it is not required by law.

Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony records are permanent, misdemeanor records are kept at least 10 years, and traffic records are kept at least 3 years. An expungement seals the record from public view but does not destroy it. Law enforcement retains access to sealed records. After the order is processed, the record will no longer appear in public databases like eClerks LA or eVault Louisiana.

Cities in St. Mary Parish

The two main population centers in St. Mary Parish are Franklin, the parish seat, and Morgan City, a port city along the Atchafalaya River. Other communities include Berwick, Centerville, and Patterson. None of these communities exceed the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Criminal court records for the entire parish are handled through the 16th JDC Clerk of Court in Franklin.

Nearby Parishes

St. Mary Parish is bordered by Iberia to the north, St. Martin to the northeast, Terrebonne to the east, Lafourche to the southeast, and Assumption to the north.