Plaquemines Parish District Court
The primary trial court is the 25th Judicial District Court. Plaquemines Parish is unusual because the 25th JDC is a single-parish district rather than a multi-parish district. The court has two divisions, Division A and Division B, with one judge in each division. The court describes itself as a court of general jurisdiction hearing civil, criminal, felony, misdemeanor, traffic, juvenile, family, adult drug court, and probate matters.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is the separate federal district court source for Plaquemines Parish federal cases.
Although the screenshot source is federal, it is useful for the page because Plaquemines Parish users often need to distinguish local 25th JDC records from federal Eastern District records.
All 25th JDC court proceedings are held at the Plaquemines Parish Courthouse in Pointe-a-la-Hache. The Clerk also operates through the Belle Chasse annex, and the official Clerk mailing address is in Belle Chasse. That split is not a second court. It is the local access pattern for a long, water-centric parish where courthouse visits may require ferry planning, security screening, and time for travel between parish offices.
Plaquemines Parish District Court Divisions
The local district court is organized by division rather than by a long list of numbered civil or criminal courts. Division A and Division B both sit in the same parish trial court structure. The Clerk's judges page identifies Hon. Kevin D. Conner in Division A and Hon. Michael D. Clement in Division B. The court site also describes an alternating duty-judge schedule by month.
| Court / division | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th Judicial District Court | General jurisdiction trial court | 18055 Highway 15, Pointe-a-la-Hache, LA 70082 | Use division or Clerk contact |
| Division A - Hon. Kevin D. Conner, Chief Judge | Civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, traffic, and other assigned matters | Courthouse, 2nd Floor, 18055 Highway 15; P.O. Box 7134, Belle Chasse, LA 70037-7134 | (504) 934-6715 |
| Division B - Hon. Michael D. Clement | Civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, traffic, and other assigned matters | 18055 Highway 15, Pointe-a-la-Hache, LA 70082 | (504) 934-6730 |
| Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court | District court records and filings | 301 Main Street, Suite 108, Belle Chasse, LA 70037 | (504) 934-6610 |
Plaquemines District Court Jurisdiction
The 25th JDC has broad trial jurisdiction because it is the parish's general trial court. Civil responsibilities include probate matters, domestic disputes, torts, home foreclosures, other real estate issues, workers' compensation claims, interdictions, evictions, and similar civil proceedings. Criminal jurisdiction includes felony charges, misdemeanors, traffic, DWI, and wildlife violations. The court's own public description also confirms juvenile, family, adult drug court, and probate matters.
That range creates several record paths. Civil, family, probate, succession, divorce, interdiction, and most district-court filings begin with the Clerk. Arrest reports, crash reports, traffic citation copies, local criminal background checks, and warrant records begin with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. Prosecuted charges after arrest involve the District Attorney. Once a court case opens, the Clerk preserves the case file, filings, minutes, dispositions, and judgments.
| Matter type | Local record source | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| Civil and property disputes | Clerk and 25th JDC | Petitions, answers, motions, orders, judgments, service returns, and appeal papers. |
| Criminal cases | DA, Clerk, 25th JDC, and PPSO | Filed charges, arraignment, pleas, motions, disposition, sentence, and related sheriff records. |
| Family and divorce | Clerk and 25th JDC | Divorce petitions, custody, support, spousal support, community property, and court orders. |
| Probate and succession | Clerk and 25th JDC | Succession petitions, wills, affidavits, inventories, judgments of possession, and interdiction filings. |
| Traffic, DWI, wildlife | 25th JDC, Clerk, PPSO, and payment channels | Citations, court settings, fines, DWI documents, and case disposition where a court case exists. |
District Court vs Lower Courts
Louisiana's structure places district courts as the primary general-jurisdiction trial courts. Local lower-court matters can still arise through justice of the peace, mayor's court, or municipal ordinance channels where applicable. Those lower channels are more likely to involve small civil disputes, evictions, local ordinance violations, traffic matters, or bench warrants tied to a missed local appearance. They are not substitutes for the 25th JDC's broad civil, criminal, probate, family, juvenile, and traffic authority.
| District Court | Justice of the Peace Court | Mayor's / Local Ordinance Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local example | 25th Judicial District Court | Ward-specific justice of the peace resources | Local municipal or ordinance forum where applicable |
| Main role | General trial court for Plaquemines Parish | Limited local civil or eviction-type matters | Local ordinance or traffic matters where authorized |
| Criminal reach | Felony, misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, wildlife, and related proceedings | Limited authority, not the main felony court | Local violations and appearance issues |
| Records path | Clerk of Court and 25th JDC calendar | Verify the ward-specific official source | Verify the issuing local court or agency |
Note: A bench warrant can come from the court that ordered the appearance, so confirm the issuing court before paying or appearing.
Plaquemines District Court Case Flow
Criminal and civil cases move through different starting points. Arrests begin with law enforcement, but the District Attorney controls filed court charges after arrest. Civil, family, probate, and divorce matters usually begin when a petition or pleading is filed with the Clerk. The Clerk then keeps the official case record, while the court calendar and divisions manage hearings and trial settings.
Criminal flow: Arrest or summons › District Attorney charging decision › Indictment or bill of information › Arraignment › Motions and pretrial settings › Plea or trial › Disposition › Sentence › Appeal when available
Civil flow: Petition filed › Service and answer › Motions or exceptions › Discovery › Pretrial conference › Trial or settlement › Judgment › Post-judgment or appeal activity
Probate flow: Succession or interdiction filing › Notices and supporting documents › Court review › Judgment of possession or other order › Certified copies and related land-record updates
Plaquemines District Court Calendar
The 25th JDC court calendar is the public calendar channel. It lists categories such as felony jury trial weeks, civil jury or bench trial weeks, traffic court, misdemeanors, juvenile court, felony motions, child support, drug court, civil motions, civil pre-trials, felony pre-trials, family matters, arraignments, and holiday closures. It is not the same thing as full Clerk case-file access.
Jurors have a separate practical workflow. The court's jury page says jurors should complete the questionnaire within seven days and return it as directed. Jurors should call the juror information line or check official court updates after 4:30 p.m. the day before appearance to learn if a trial was cancelled or rescheduled. Court visitors and jurors are subject to security screening, and cell phones are generally barred unless authorized.
- Use the court calendar for hearing categories, trial weeks, and court closures.
- Use the Clerk for official case records, copies, filings, and certified documents.
- Use the division phone number for division-specific scheduling questions when appropriate.
- Check ferry and court-news updates before traveling to Pointe-a-la-Hache.
Plaquemines District Court Records
Public access to Louisiana records is shaped by La. R.S. 44:1 and La. R.S. 44:32, but court records also depend on court rules, confidentiality statutes, and Clerk procedures. The Clerk's eSearch portal provides free online indices but says guest users do not receive docket information or image access. Official public records should be requested from the Clerk's office rather than treated as final based on a portal index.
The electronic-record rule in Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure article 253 supports electronic filing and official electronic records while requiring protected identifiers to be handled properly. Juvenile, adoption, sealed, expunged, victim-safety, mental-health, and protected personal-identifier material can be restricted or redacted. Adult public district court records are not the same as confidential juvenile or adoption files.
The federal judiciary's PACER system is a separate account-based route for federal cases, not local 25th JDC records.
PACER can matter for federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and appellate records, but a Plaquemines Parish 25th JDC case still belongs with the Clerk and state court system.
Plaquemines District Court Appeals
Appeals from the 25th JDC route to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, with discretionary or supervisory review by the Louisiana Supreme Court where available. The federal Fifth Circuit is different. It hears federal appeals from federal district courts, not ordinary appeals from the 25th JDC. That distinction matters because Louisiana's state appellate path and the federal court system use different clerks, dockets, rules, and access systems.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is the federal appellate court for Eastern District federal cases.
For a state 25th JDC appeal, look to Louisiana's Fourth Circuit path; for a federal Eastern District appeal, the federal Fifth Circuit is the relevant appellate court.
Plaquemines District Specialty Dockets
The 25th JDC confirms adult drug court matters, and the court calendar includes drug court among its docket categories. The court also handles juvenile and family matters, but juvenile records should not be described as open public dockets. The court website navigation includes juvenile resources, and the calendar lists juvenile court, yet Louisiana confidentiality rules restrict many juvenile files.
The research did not identify a complete local handbook for veterans court, mental health court, reentry court, DWI court, or family treatment court in Plaquemines Parish. Specialty docket availability should be confirmed with the assigned division, the District Attorney, defense counsel, the public defender, or the Clerk. Do not assume that a program common in another Louisiana parish exists in the same form in Plaquemines Parish.
Plaquemines District Court Courthouse
The main courthouse is the Plaquemines Parish Courthouse at 18055 Highway 15 in Pointe-a-la-Hache. The Clerk's courthouse hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Belle Chasse annex at 301 Main Street, Suite 108, has Clerk hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Clerk mailing address is P.O. Box 40, Belle Chasse, LA 70037-0040.
Security rules are strict. The court states that visitors may not enter with weapons, dangerous instrumentalities, illegal contraband, or electronic devices unless exempted. Attorneys present for proceedings and self-represented parties with a case before the court may be exempted for case-related device use. Jurors should leave pocket knives, scissors, and similar items at home or in the vehicle, and the court notes that courthouse food options are limited.
Ferry planning is part of courthouse planning. A June 12, 2026 court notice warned arraignment attendees about the Belle Chasse Ferry being out of service and told them to use the Pointe-a-la-Hache ferry. The parish's geography makes that type of notice more than a travel detail.
Federal Courts for Plaquemines
Federal court records are separate from Plaquemines Parish District Court records. Plaquemines Parish is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Federal matters may include federal crimes, civil-rights cases, maritime or admiralty disputes, federal-question civil suits, diversity litigation, federal agency disputes, and federal habeas or post-conviction filings. Attorneys and registered users use the Eastern District CM/ECF system, while public federal case access generally runs through PACER.
The Eastern District CM/ECF system is the federal electronic filing and docket system.
CM/ECF is useful for federal dockets, but it does not replace the Clerk of Court for local 25th JDC filings.
Bankruptcy cases from Plaquemines Parish route to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Bankruptcy petitions, schedules, claims, discharge orders, and adversary proceedings are federal bankruptcy records, not 25th JDC records.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana handles federal prosecutions in the district.
A federal prosecution may involve the U.S. Attorney, federal court, PACER, and federal custody systems, while a Plaquemines Parish criminal case involves the DA, PPSO, 25th JDC, and Clerk.