St. Bernard County
Located in southeast Louisiana, St. Bernard Parish was formed in 1807 and named after Saint Bernard, the patron saint of Governor Bernardo De Galvez. Of its 2,168 square miles total area, only 378 square miles (17%) is land. St. Bernard parish was one of the municipalities most affected by Hurricane Karina in 2005. Its population of 43,764 (2020 US census) is still 35% less than its 2000 figure of 67,229. Chalmette is its county seat and largest city.
The court system in St. Bernard Parish consists of the District and Justice of the Peace Courts. The St. Bernard Parish 34th Judicial District Court handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Courts. It has five Divisions that exclusively hear felonies, misdemeanors, cases involving property disputes, and civil cases with claims exceeding $5,000. It also handles domestic relations, juvenile, and probate cases, such as divorce, annulment, maintenance, child support, emancipation, child neglect, wills, estates, trusts, and guardianships.
St. Bernard Parish Justice of the Peace Court handles peace bonds, misdemeanors, evictions, small claims limited to $5,000, municipal ordinance violations, weddings, motor vehicle title disputes, and preliminary felony hearings. There are 11 Justice of the Peace Courts located in different cities in the parish.
St. Bernard Parish public court records are documents, files, and exhibits created in the county courts and are available for public access. These records include court filings, warrants, depositions, writs, transcripts, orders, court proceedings, and judgments of the parish's courts. The St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court maintains court records for the parish courts in compliance with state and parish regulations.
The Louisiana constitution mandates the St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court to provide access to the following types of court records, provided they are not sealed by court orders:
- Traffic Court Records
- Criminal Court Records
- Civil Court Records
- Probate Court Records
- Family Law Court Records
The St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Courts provides a subscription-based online platform for anyone to access the public court records from the parish. Alternatively, they can contact the St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court via mail or in person at:
St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court
1101 West Street
Bernard Highway
P.O. Box 1746
Chalmette, LA 70044
