Vernon Parish Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Vernon Parish are filed with the 30th Judicial District Court Clerk of Court in Leesville, Louisiana. The Clerk's office holds felony and misdemeanor case files, court minutes, and related documents with records going back to 1871. The 30th JDC covers Vernon Parish only. Criminal records are primarily accessed in person, as online criminal record searches are not available for Vernon Parish through the Clerk's portal.

Clerk of Court: Contact and Access Rules

The Vernon Parish Clerk of Court is Jeff Skidmore. The office is at 215 S. 4th Street, Leesville, LA 71446. Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Leesville, LA 71496-0040. Phone: (337) 238-1384. Fax: (337) 238-9902. Email: vernonclerk@bellsouth.net. The Clerk's website is at vernonparishcoc.com.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Note the earlier opening time compared to many other Louisiana clerks. Plan your visit accordingly. The office does not accept walk-in visitors who bring purses, backpacks, or cell phones into the office. This rule is stated clearly on the office's website and applies to all visitors.

The 30th JDC courthouse is at the same address: 215 South 4th Street, Leesville. Criminal cases for Vernon Parish are heard and filed here. Records go back to 1871, though older records may not be digitized and can take longer to retrieve.

Criminal Records Access: In-Person Required

Vernon Parish criminal records are not available through the Clerk's online portal. The eSearch tool on the Clerk's website at cotthosting.com is limited to land records only. Criminal case searches must be done in person at the Leesville office or by written request sent to P.O. Box 40.

When submitting a mail request, include the subject's full legal name, date of birth if known, and the specific type of record needed. Enclose payment by check or money order. Standard copy fees apply per page. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee. Contact the office by phone at (337) 238-1384 to confirm current fee amounts before mailing payment.

Marriage record indices are available online through the Clerk's website. eFiling is also available for certain document types, with instructions posted on the website. But for criminal case searches specifically, in-person access or a written request is required.

Online Search Tools for Vernon Parish

The eClerks LA portal covers Vernon Parish and offers free index-level access to criminal records across all 64 Louisiana parishes. You can use it to confirm whether a criminal case was filed in Vernon Parish and get basic case details before traveling to Leesville or submitting a mail request.

The Vernon Parish land records eSearch portal is available for property record searches, though it does not include criminal case data.

This portal is limited to land and civil records. Criminal case searches must be done through the Clerk's office directly or via eClerks LA.

For multi-parish searches, Clerk Connect offers a subscription service covering several parishes. Useful if you need to check records across multiple courts in one session.

Mayor's Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts

Vernon Parish has five Mayor's Courts in addition to the 30th JDC and Leesville City Court. The communities with Mayor's Courts include Anacoco, Hornbeck, New Llano, Simpson, and Rosepine. There are also seven Justice of the Peace wards across the parish.

The Leesville City Court is at 101 West Street, Leesville. Phone: (337) 238-1531. City court and mayor's court records are held separately from 30th JDC records. If you need a case that was handled at the local level, contact the specific city or Mayor's Court that handled it. The Clerk of Court in Leesville does not hold those records.

Knowing which court handled a case matters before you make a trip or send a written request. If you are unsure, start with the Clerk's office by phone. Staff can often confirm which court handled a specific matter without requiring a formal records request.

Statewide Criminal Record Tools

The Louisiana State Police background check system is at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov. A name search costs $31. Louisiana is a "closed record" state under La. R.S. 15:587. The LSP system only returns records cleared for public release and is not a substitute for a complete court record search.

The Department of Corrections has a free offender search by name. It shows DOC-supervised individuals including those on parole or probation. The Louisiana sex offender registry is also free and searchable online by name or address.

The eClerks LA portal is the most useful free online tool for checking Vernon Parish criminal case indexes remotely.

Use this tool to get basic case information before deciding whether to make an in-person visit or submit a formal written request to the Leesville office.

Federal cases involving Vernon Parish defendants are in the Western District of Louisiana. Use PACER to search those records. PACER charges $0.10 per page, capped at $3 per document.

Expungement in Vernon Parish

Louisiana expungement law is found at La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and the following articles. Expungement removes a record from public view but does not destroy it. Law enforcement and certain state agencies can still access expunged records after an order is granted.

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. Total minimum is $550. Each arrest requires its own petition. One filing does not cover multiple arrests. Not all charges qualify. First-offense misdemeanors and some felonies may be eligible after a waiting period. Contact a local attorney to assess eligibility for a specific arrest record.

Public Records Law

La. R.S. 44:1 defines public records in Louisiana. La. R.S. 44:32(A) requires that public records be given to any adult who requests them. Court records are generally public unless sealed or restricted by law. Juvenile records are confidential. Victims' personal information is protected. If a request is denied, the reason must be provided in writing.

La. R.S. 44:36 sets retention periods. Felony records are permanent. Misdemeanor records must be kept at least 10 years. Traffic records carry a 3-year minimum. These rules apply statewide including in Vernon Parish. The Louisiana Supreme Court at lasc.org offers information on court procedures and public access rights.

Cities in Vernon Parish

Vernon Parish includes several communities. Leesville is the parish seat and largest city, but it does not meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. Other communities including DeRidder, Anacoco, Hornbeck, and New Llano are all served by the 30th JDC Clerk of Court in Leesville. All criminal court records for these areas are filed through the Leesville courthouse.

Nearby Parishes

Vernon Parish borders several other parishes in west-central Louisiana, each with its own clerk and court system for criminal records.