Washington County
Washington Parish was carved in 1819 from parts of St. Tammany Parish. It has a land mass of about 669.6 square miles and an estimated 45,514 residents. The parish seat is the Town of Franklinton.
Washington Parish's court system consists of a District Court, a City Court, Mayor's Courts, and Justice of the Peace Courts. The District Court is located in the 22nd Judicial District of Louisiana. It has jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases but generally handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of other lower courts. It receives appeals from administrative agencies and deals with felony and probate cases. The judges of Divisions A through J have jurisdiction over all cases. The court has a Family Court Division, handled by Divisions K and L judges. It has Specialty Courts that assist offenders to recover from alcohol/drugs and substance abuse. It also hears appeals from the lower courts. The Bogalusa City Court deals with misdemeanors, traffic infractions, juvenile, small claims (less than $5,000), and civil cases with claims less than $25,000. Several towns and villages have Mayor's Courts to address traffic infractions and ordinance violations. The Justice of the Peace Courts presides over minor civil matters in which the amount in contention is less than $5,000.
Washington Parish public court records include documents, accounts, tapes, exhibits, and papers collected or created during legal court proceedings, regardless of physical form or characteristics. The Washington Parish Clerk of Court is the official custodian of court records in the parish, and they are responsible for disseminating the following documents to the public upon request:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Family law records
- Probate records
The Louisiana Public Records Law ensures public access to most court records in Washington Parish. Interested individuals may access these records by visiting the clerk's office for a specific fee at:
908-B Washington Street
P.O. Box 607
Franklinton, LA 70438
Phone: (985) 839-4663
Fax: (985) 839-3116
Anyone may search the parish's court records online upon subscription using the Public Records Search Portal.
