Louisiana Court Docket Search

Louisiana Court Docket Search

A Louisiana court docket search is a search of the official court case information in Louisiana. This information includes details of all Louisiana court records about criminal cases, civil lawsuits, probate cases (estates), small claims matters, and other related legal proceedings.

Louisiana court dockets typically contain the history of each court proceeding in Louisiana Courts. Typically, a court docket lists the documents filed by the case parties, court orders, judgments, appearances, verdicts, and other in-court events. Every case brought to a Louisiana court is assigned a unique docket number, which is maintained by the clerk of the court where the case was filed.

Are Court Dockets Public Records in Louisiana?

Yes, court dockets are accessible to the public per the Louisiana Public Records. Therefore, members of the public are permitted to inspect and obtain copies of court dockets in Louisiana. There are certain court cases that are exempted from public disclosure. For instance, cases that contain sensitive material, such as those that contain information that affects national security. Criminal cases are also sometimes sealed to protect the identity of witnesses. Other sealed cases include adoption and juvenile.

Where to Find a Court Docket in Louisiana

Depending on the type of case, where to find a court docket in Louisiana may vary. Court dockets were usually obtained by visiting the clerk's desk at the courthouse where a case was filed. However, with the adoption of electronic case management systems by courts, dockets can now be accessed electronically.

How to Conduct a Louisiana Court Docket Search

Searching for a court docket in Louisiana can be done in several ways, depending on the type of case and the preference of the researcher. An individual can choose to go to the clerk in the court and request a docket search, or the individual may choose to conduct the search electronically.

For instance, a requester can visit the Supreme Court Clerk’s administrative office during business hours to request court docket information. The office is located at:

Louisiana Supreme Court
400, Royal Street, Suite 4200
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 310-2300
TTY: (504) 310-2546
Email: COCVM@LASC.ORG

For questions about a Louisiana Supreme Court docket search that is to be conducted electronically, the court has a record of recent dockets, kept together under the catalog “current and recent dockets”. Older ones are kept together in the docket archive, where they are arranged by year, up to the year 2001.

Conducting the Supreme Court docket search electronically is quite direct, as there are no special requirements like the case number for the court docket to be provided. The only required information is the date the case was litigated.

What is the Purpose of a Court Docket in Louisiana?

A court docket is a log containing the summary of activities for court proceedings. The document provides researchers with important details about a case, including the necessary filings related to the case and the dates they were filed.

The docket also serves as a court calendar, providing information such as the date a case will be heard, the matter, the location of the court, and the name of the judge presiding over the case. This helps members of the public and anyone interested in a case to properly track the case and its progress.

It is also widely used as a timetable in the court. Many dockets contain a schedule of the in-court activities of a particular court. A person will find information, such as the next case to be heard, the duration of the hearing, and the time the counsels are expected to report to the court, in the court docket.

What Do Court Dockets Contain in Louisiana?

The content and format of court dockets depend on the court where the case was heard. However, there is some general information that will most likely be found in a Louisiana court docket; these include:

• The name and location of the court where the case is processed
• The scheduled time for the commencement of the court proceedings
• The names of the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s)
• The names of the plaintiff appellants(s) and defendant appellee(s)
• The case number
• The name of the ruling judge
• The oral argument
• The disposition of the case.
• The time duration given for each side to speak.

What is a Court Docket Number in Louisiana?

A court docket number is the unique number used to track a case. Since the court generates the number, understanding how it is generated is not of optimum importance. However, it is good to know how a case number is read because it provides basic case information, about a case, like where it was filed, when it was filed, or what type of case it is.

Court docket numbers in Louisiana generally contain the following:

• The court where the case was filed (usually represented by a code number)
• The year the case was filed. This can either be written in two or four-digit formats, i.e., 17 representing 2017 or 2017.
• The type of case, e.g., civil, family, criminal. This is usually written in short acronym formats. For example, C represents Civil.
• A unique sequence number assigned to the case

A typical example of a court docket number in Louisiana is 2017-C-01288. This indicates that the case in question is the 1288th case that was processed in 2017. This case also happens to be a case of civil law.

How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in Louisiana

A court docket number lookup can be conducted in person or online.

In-person requesters must have some details about the case that will aid the search of the docket. Some clerks may request the case number, the names of the parties involved, or even the date the case was filed. This information will help the clerk locate the court docket promptly.

A vital information to have, however, is the court(s) where the case was processed. As earlier stated, court dockets are usually kept at the courthouses where the case was filed. So, having the knowledge of the courts where the case was filed will help the individual that decides to conduct the search in person.

On the other hand, someone that decides to make the search electronically can do it with basic information like the case number. For example, the Louisiana Fifth Court of Appeal has an archive of the dockets of cases filed in their court from 2006 till present available online. Requesters can access docket information by using the Docket search tool available on the website.

The search can be done by case number, litigant name, docket month or year, or docket date. Once the individual logs onto the webpage of the court, the case search tab will be found on the homepage. The dropdown menu of the case search tab provides users with three options, which are; case search, decision search, and docket search.

The docket search option leads directly to the docket archive, the individual can then decide the means by which they would like to search for basic case information on the docket. It is preferable to conduct a search by case number.

The court also provides the researcher with an option to call the clerk’s office if the case being searched for can not be found online. This may include restricted cases, or cases that have not been included in the electronic search range.