Orleans County
Orleans Parish was founded in 1718 and named to honor Philippe II, the Duke of Orleans and Regent of France. The parish is coterminous with its parish seat, the City of New Orleans, covering a land area of approximately 169 square miles in southeastern Louisiana. Orleans Parish is the third most populous parish in Louisiana, with a population of 380,408.
Orleans Parish has five trial courts, including the District, Juvenile, City, Municipal, and Traffic Courts. The District Court in Orleans Parish has general jurisdiction over all court cases through its Civil District Court and Criminal District Court. The Civil District Court typically handles personal injury claims, property disputes, and other general civil claims for more than $25,000, while the Criminal District Court hears all felony trials. Legal proceedings involving minors aged 17 and below are exclusive to the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court.
The two City Courts in Orleans Parish have limited jurisdiction over minor criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases handled by the City Courts include misdemeanors and other trials that do not involve juries. Meanwhile, monetary disputes of up to $25,000, eviction complaints, and small claims cases involving up to $5,000 in financial settlements are resolved at the Orleans Parish City Courts. The Municipal and Traffic Courts in New Orleans have exclusive jurisdiction over ordinance violations and traffic Infractions.
Official documents created during legal proceedings in Orleans Parish courts are regarded as public court records. These documents contain case filings, testimonies, trial transcripts, dockets, dispositions, and court judgments. Orleans Parish trial courts have different court clerks tasked with keeping and disseminating the following public court records:
- Criminal court records
- Land records
- Domestic relations records
- Civil records
- Small claims records
- Probate records
Meanwhile, the state's Public Records Act prohibits access to certain confidential records containing personal details and sensitive information. Examples of confidential court records in Orleans Parish include sealed, juvenile, and adoption records. Only record owners and their legal representatives can obtain confidential records. To obtain public court records in Orleans Parish, requesters can contact any of the following court record custodians:
- Civil District Court Clerk
- Criminal District Court Clerk
- First City Court Clerk
- Second City Court Clerk
Individuals interested in Orleans Parish court records online can use the Criminal District Court Search or Civil District Court Remote Access. Users can search for records by case number, party name, or hearing date.
