West Baton Rouge Parish Court Records

West Baton Rouge Parish court records detail legal proceedings and outcomes of cases in the parish’s court system. A court record serves as a reference to attorneys, researchers, and members of the general public who want to obtain information on a particular case. West Baton Rouge Parish and other Louisiana court records include dockets, judgments, pleadings, motions, and orders.

Are Court Records Public in West Baton Rouge Parish?

Yes, court records are a part of West Baton Rouge Parish public records. Louisiana's Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.) grants the public the right to inspect or copy case records maintained by courts in the state.

However, individuals seeking to access a court record may find that some existing records are unavailable to the public under the Louisiana Public Records Law. To access protected records, a person must either be authorized by the court or by state law. Protected court records in Louisiana include:

• Juvenile court records
• Adoption records
• Protective orders
• Documents submitted as evidence or used in proceedings before the Judiciary Commission
• Court mental health evaluations
• Records protected by patient privilege laws
• Court records of certain participants in court specialty programs, like the drug courts
• Sealed court records

Any exception not stated in Louisiana’s statute or constitution is not valid. If someone believes access to a court record was wrongly denied, they may seek judicial review. This is done by filing a writ of mandamus in the district court under La. R.S. 44:35. The court may order the disclosure of the record if an investigation reveals that the record was held contrary to provisions made by law.

West Baton Rouge Parish Court Records Search

Residents and other interested parties can search for court records in West Baton Rouge Parish through several channels:

• Visiting or mailing a record request to the Clerk of Court’s Office
• Searching the court’s online database
• Searching third-party databases

West Baton Rouge Parish Courts

West Baton Rouge Parish courts operate under the Louisiana judicial system. It consists of a district court, a city court, and two mayor's courts. Below are the addresses of the courthouses in the parish:

West Baton Rouge Parish Courthouse
850 8th Street
Port Allen, LA 70767
Phone: (225) 383-0378
Fax: (225) 383-3694

Port Allen City Court
330 South Alexander Ave
P.O. Box 93
Port Allen, LA 70767
Phone: (225) 346-4702

Brusly Mayor's Court
601 South Vaughan Street, P.O. Box 510
Brusly, LA 70719
Phone: (225) 749-2909
Fax: (225) 749-3874

Addis Mayor's Court
7818 LA Highway 1 South
P.O. Box 237
Addis, LA 70710
Phone: (225) 687-4844

West Baton Rouge Parish Criminal and Civil Records

West Baton Rouge court records are generally categorized as either criminal or civil. These categories may include subtypes such as family, traffic, divorce, and small claims records.

West Baton Rouge criminal court records contain information about prosecutions for violations of the law, whereas civil court records document non-criminal legal disputes between individuals or entities. Divorce, property disputes, probate matters, and personal injury lawsuits are typical examples of civil cases.

The 18th Judicial District Court is the main trial court in the parish, responsible for criminal and civil court cases. Lower-level courts, such as the Port Allen City Court and the Mayor’s Courts in Brusly and Addis, handle misdemeanors, traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, and small claims. Each court’s clerk is charged with maintaining and providing public access to the court’s records. To access a court record, an individual may visit the clerk's office during office hours to make a request.

Researchers can inspect a court record without cost; however, copying or certifying a record will cost the requester a fee. The fees for obtaining a copy of a West Baton Rouge Parish criminal record or civil document from the district court are as follows:

• Paper copy: $1 per page
• Conformed or stamped copy: $3 per document
• Faxed copy: $5 for the first page, and $2 for each subsequent page
• Certified copy: $5 per document

Additionally, the District Court Clerk provides an eSearch portal for online access to criminal and civil case records.

Note that West Baton Rouge Parish arrest records, also considered part of the county's criminal records, are primarily maintained by law enforcement.

West Baton Rouge Parish Marriage Records

The District Clerk of Court maintains West Baton Rouge Parish marriage records. The clerk issues marriage licenses to intending couples and records these licenses after the wedding ceremony. Inquirers can access a marriage record in person at the clerk’s office. They may also search for the record online using the eSearch feature on the clerk’s website.

Inquirers may choose to inspect a marriage record for free at a date provided by the clerk or request a personal copy for a fee. Couples who need their marriage records for official purposes may obtain a copy of their West Baton Rouge Parish marriage certificate. As Louisiana is a closed record state, certified copies of West Baton Rouge Parish vital records (marriage, death, birth, and divorce) are confidential. The requester must be either the spouse or another authorized person to obtain a marriage certificate. Copies of a marriage certificate typically cost more than standard copies.

West Baton Rouge Parish Divorce Records

Divorce records in West Baton Rouge Parish are publicly available for examination. These records are filed and disseminated by the District Court Clerk. However, only limited information about a divorce may be accessible. Sensitive information and several details may be withheld from public view. The fees for obtaining copies of civil court records, as specified earlier, apply when receiving a copy of a divorce record.

West Baton Rouge Parish Birth Records

Birth records are created to keep a history of persons born in the parish. West Baton Rouge Parish birth records are confidential for 100 years after their creation because Louisiana is a closed record state.

Once 100 years have passed, the birth record is transferred to the Louisiana State Archives and made available to the public (La. R.S 40:36). Individuals can search for these birth records on the Historical Birth Records search portal. Researchers can find West Baton Rouge Parish-specific records using the portal's advanced search option.

West Baton Rouge Parish birth certificates are only obtainable by the following persons:

• The individual named on the record (i.e., registrant)
• The spouse of the subject of the record
• A parent named on the record
• An adult child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the subject of the record
• An attorney with proper authorization

Authorized individuals can obtain a birth certificate from the District Clerk of Court. The clerk searches for the record electronically on a state-central vital records database, prints, and certifies the records. If the record is unavailable in the database, the individual will have to order birth records from the Louisiana Department of Health. Short-form birth certificates cost $5 per copy, while long-form certificates cost $19.

West Baton Rouge Parish Death Records

Death records in West Baton Rouge Parish are considered confidential, similar to birth records. However, unlike birth records, death records become public 50 years after the date of death. Until then, only certain individuals are authorized to access them, including:

• Immediate family members, such as the surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren.
• Legal representatives
• Authorized beneficiaries of insurance policies, trusts, retirement plans, or payable-on-death accounts
• Court-appointed individuals, such as succession representatives or delegates

Eligible persons may contact the District Court Clerk to order a death certificate. If the clerk cannot provide a copy, i.e, does not find it on the state’s vital records database, the requester can order from the Louisiana Department of Health. The cost of obtaining a death certificate in the parish is $9.

West Baton Rouge Parish Probate Court Records

Probate records document legal proceedings pertaining to the distribution of a deceased person's estate. These records can also include wills, guardianships, and conservatorship documents. The 18th Judicial District Court handles probate matters in West Baton Rouge Parish.

Interested persons can obtain a probate record from the District Clerk of Court’s Office. Online access to probate records is also available through the clerk's eSearch service.

West Baton Rouge Parish Property Records

Property records contain essential information about real estate ownership and transactions. The District Court Clerk serves as the official custodian of West Baton Rouge Parish property records, which are considered public and accessible to anyone.

Additionally, the Parish Assessor maintains property appraisal and tax-related information. Users can access this information by performing a Property Search on the Assessor’s official website.

West Baton Rouge Parish Court Records Online

Third-party websites (e.g., Louisianacourtrecords.us) are an online alternative for finding West Baton Rouge Parish court records. These websites are an excellent option for researchers seeking access to a court record without physically visiting the courthouse. To perform a search, users may need to provide the record owner's name. Depending on the vendor, an access fee may be charged.

It should be noted that third-party websites do not provide confidential court records. Also, the information they disclose may be incomplete, necessitating information verification through official sources.