Lafourche Parish Arrest Records

Under the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure, an arrest is defined as the taking into custody of one person by another when they commit a crime. Law enforcement in Lafourche Parish is authorized by law to arrest offenders when they commit crimes in the parish. Under the Louisiana Revised Statute §14:2, crimes are typically divided into misdemeanors and felonies. They are differentiated based on the severity of the crime and the severity of its punishment.

Suspects arrested in Lafourche will usually be held at the detention center operated by the parish sheriff’s office. After an arrest, offenders are typically processed and booked at the Parish detention center. After processing, the offender will usually be arraigned before a court judge to determine if they will remain in jail or be released on bail.

Lafourche Parish arrest records are records of these arrests generated by local law enforcement. As public records, they can be obtained by contacting the right custodian. Arrest records may also be accessible as part of other records, such as criminal, inmate, and Lafourche Parish Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lafourche Parish?

Yes, arrest records in Lafourche Parish are considered public records under the Louisiana Public Records Act. Under the law, non-confidential records are generally available for inspection and copying by the general public from its custodian.

Although arrest records, in general, may be considered public records, some information may be exempted from public disclosure. The following are examples of some information that may be exempted or restricted from public access by the Public Records Act.

• Records about criminal litigation when the litigation has not finally been adjudicated or otherwise settled
• Records containing the identity of a confidential source of information for law enforcement
• Records containing the identity of undercover law enforcement officers
• Records sealed by a court order or expungement order
• Information covered by attorney-client privilege
• Personal information the release of which can be considered an unnecessary invasion of privacy

In some cases, records containing classified information may still be released, but the restricted parts may be removed or redacted. Government agencies such as district attorneys and law enforcement may also be able to access arrest records even when they are confidential.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The format of an arrest record in Lafourche Parish will generally contain the following information detailing the events around the arrest.

• The name of the subject of the record
• Physical description such as gender, height, weight, hair color, and eye color
• Biometrics such as fingerprints and photographs
• Details of the arrest, including arresting agency and officers, date, time, and location
• Details of the charges against the subject and the statute they violated
• Bond details such as amount and any conditions attached

Lafourche Parish Crime Rate

The following crime statistics are data reported by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office and collected by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Considering data collected in 2018 and 2019, it shows reductions rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and arson by 7.7%, 100%, 19.4%, and 14.3% respectively. Conversely, between 2018 and 2019, cases of murder increased by 50%, property crime by 23.7%, burglary by 44.6%, larceny by 19.4%, and motor vehicle theft by 11.9%, respectively. There was also a rise of 9.5% in violent crimes. Property crime was the most common type reported, with 1685 cases reported in 2018 and 2084 cases in 2019.

Lafourche Parish Arrest Statistics

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office reported the following arrest statistics for the parish to the FBI uniform crime reporting program. According to the statistics reported for the parish in 2022, there were 508 arrests for simple assault, 266 for drug abuse violations, 171 for larceny, 69 for DUIs, 60 for aggravated assaults, 52 for acts of vandalism, 42 for burglary, 28 for weapon charges, 20 for motor vehicle thefts, 4 for fraud, 3 for rape, 2 for forgery, 2 for robbery, and 2 for murder.

Find Lafourche Parish Arrest Records

Arrest records for Lafourche Parish can be found by contacting the custodian of records for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Record seekers can make their request in person at the sheriff’s office located at:

Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office
200 Canal Boulevard
Thibodaux, LA 70301

During requests, record seekers should be ready to provide relevant and accurate information for the record requested. This will include a full name, date of birth, and case number. Requests can also be made by submitting a completed public record request form to the custodian of records at:

Chief Deputy Roy Gros
P.O. Box 5608
Thibodaux, LA 70302

Requests can also be submitted to the custodian by email at roy-gros@lpso.net. It should be noted that there will be fees for any records requested from the sheriff’s office. Call the sheriff’s office at (985) 448-2111 for any questions.

Arrest records and inmate information can also be obtained by calling the Lafourche Parish Detention Center operated by the sheriff’s office at (985) 449-4458. The sheriff’s office website also has an online inmate search tool where visitors can look up inmate arrest records online.

On the state level, inmate records can be found by contacting the Louisiana Department of Safety and Corrections. Records can be found either by using the inmate locator link on the website or by calling the inmate locator service at (225) 383-4580.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lafourche Parish

Arrest records and inmate information for Lafourche Parish are available online at no charge. Visitors to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office website can use the Inmate Search tool to look up inmate arrest records, including charges, bond details, and arrest dates, for free online.

Some third-party record collation websites also offer access to arrest records for free. Users may be able to perform record searches on these websites by inputting details such as names, arrest dates, date of birth, or case numbers.

Get Lafourche Parish Criminal Records

Criminal records refer to the various documents that make up a person’s criminal history. They detail all of the subjects interaction with law enforcement and include everything from arrest records and booking information to court case details and any prison records.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO) provides local criminal history reports covering Lafourche Parish only. Criminal histories can be obtained by visiting any of the following three sheriff’s Office locations.

• LPSO Administrative Office, 200 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux
• Criminal Operations Center, 805 Crescent Avenue, Lockport
• The South Lafourche Sub-station, 102 West 91st Street, Cut Off

All applicants must present a valid government-issued photo ID and the appropriate fees at the request. Criminal history reports cost $5 each for parish residents and $10 for no parish residents. For any inquiries, record seekers may call the sheriff’s office records section at (985) 449-4432 or email dawn-lamkins@lpso.net.

Statewide Background Checks and criminal histories are available from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information.

Lafourche Parish Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are both records that document a person’s dealings with law enforcement agencies. They are both generated by law enforcement agencies during their duties. The main difference between them lies in how comprehensive their contents are.

Arrest records mainly detail an individual's arrests on a case-by-case basis. They contain details of the arrest, including the location where it occurred, charges, booking details, and bond information generated during the booking process after an arrest.

Criminal records are much more comprehensive than arrest records, detailing an individual’s full criminal history. Criminal records may contain multiple arrest records accumulated over time.

If available, they also contain other information, such as court case details and incarceration information, such as prison or probation records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in Louisiana and, by extension, Lafourche Parish remain indefinitely on a person’s record. Arrest records will continue appearing on a person’s record during research until steps are taken to seal or remove it. Louisiana allows its citizens to remove certain crimes from their records by filing a motion for expungement or setting aside. If the motion is successful, the offense will be sealed from public view. This means it will no longer be available during record requests and will no longer appear in record searches.

Expunge Lafourche Parish Arrest Records

Expungement is the process under Louisiana law by which criminal records, such as arrest records, may be removed from an individual’s record. After an expungement, the record becomes confidential but remains available for use by law enforcement agencies, criminal justice agencies, and other state agencies, as stated under Louisiana law.

The following conditions must be met to qualify to file for an expungement in Louisiana.

• The applicant must have waited for a certain amount of time after completing the sentence for a conviction as well as any probation or supervision period(5 years for a misdemeanor and 10 years for a felony)
• If the prosecutor did not act to bring charges, the time limit to prosecute (statute of limitation)must expire before a motion to expunge can be filed.
• There must be no convictions other than traffic citations against the applicant.
• There must be no pending court cases or charges against the applicant
• They must have paid any fines and restitutions from the case
• Applicants can file for an expungement immediately if they were arrested but not charged, the case was dismissed, or they were acquitted

Filing for an expungement in Louisiana can be done in the following steps.

• Gather the correct forms. All expungement applications must contain the following forms. A Motion for Expungement form, Judicial Order form, Affidavit of Response, Order of Expungement
• Obtain a copy of your criminal record from the Louisiana State Police within 30 days of filing for expungement. Include the criminal records with the application forms and all other required forms. Confirm all required documentation with the Parish Court Clerk before filing the petition
• File the petition for expungement with the parish court clerk
• Pay the filing fee of $550. This fee covers fees paid to the state police, the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, the court, the parish DA, and the parish sheriff. Confirm the fees and inquire about any waivers from the Parish Court Clerk
• Wait about 60 days. During this time, the district attorney/prosecutor and any victims will be notified of the petition. If they choose, they may object to the petition and do so in writing to the court. If they do, a court hearing will be scheduled, and the applicant will be notified to attend. If not, the petition will be approved, and the applicant will receive a certificate of compliance from the state police
• The Parish Court Clerk will send the order and judgment of expungement of the record by mail or electronically to all parties, including the parish district attorney, the arresting agency, the Lafourche Parish sheriff, and the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information

Prospective applicants should note that some crimes do not qualify for expungement, including the following.

• Sex crimes
• Distribution of any dangerous controlled substances
• Misdemeanor stalking
• Crimes against minors
• Domestic abuse and battery
• Violent felony crimes

Lafourche Parish Arrest Warrants

A Lafourche Parish arrest warrant is a document that gives law enforcement the authority to arrest an offender after a complaint has been made. For an arrest warrant to be issued in Louisiana, the complainant must execute an affidavit specifying the offender’s name and details of the offense, such as nature, date, and location.

If the magistrate or justice of the peace is satisfied, there is probable cause that an offense was committed and the subject of the complaint committed it. They may issue the warrant. The magistrate may also issue a warrant if the complainant makes the complaint verbally under oath. The warrant will be addressed to all law enforcement in the state and can be executed by any one of them authorized in the jurisdiction where the subject of the warrant is found.

Warrants in Louisiana may differ from parish to parish but will generally contain the following information.

• The warrant will be in writing and be in the name of the state of Louisiana.
• It must contain the date it was issued and the municipality or parish where it was issued.
• It must state the name or alias of the person to be arrested and a reasonable description.
• It must state the charges against the person to be arrested
• It must command that the person be arrested and booked
• It must also be signed by the magistrate with his name and his title of office

Lafourche Parish Arrest Warrant Search

Lafourche Parish arrest warrants can be found by contacting the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Request for warrant information can be made by visiting the sheriff’s office in person or by mailing a filled-out public records request form to the custodian sheriff’s office at:

Chief Deputy Roy Gros
P.O. Box 5608
Thibodaux, LA 70302

Warrant information can also be searched online using the Warrant Search tool provided on the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office website.

Records seekers must provide accurate information such as names, race, and case numbers to search for warrants using these online resources. During mailed or in-person requests, a subject’s date of birth may also be required for a warrant search.

Do Lafourche Parish Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in Lafourche Parish and the rest of Louisiana do not expire and there is no statute of limitations on arrest warrants. The warrant will remain active until the suspect is apprehended, turns themselves in, or dies. However, an arrest warrant can be canceled or recalled if it can be shown that the warrant was wrongfully issued or unnecessary. This will usually be after a petition by the subject of the warrant or their attorney and a court hearing.