Lookup LaSalle Parish District Court

LaSalle Parish District Court Overview

The Twenty-Eighth Judicial District Court is the District Court for LaSalle Parish. Official research describes it as a single-member judicial district made up of all of LaSalle Parish. Judge J. Christopher Peters is the local District Court judge, and the court office lists 1050 Courthouse Street, Room 4, Post Office Box 1890, Jena, Louisiana 71342, phone (318) 992-2002, fax (318) 992-8701, and email 28thjdc@gmail.com.

Louisiana District Courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction. In LaSalle Parish, that means the same District Court can be the venue for civil suits, felony and district-level criminal matters, family and divorce filings, juvenile matters subject to confidentiality rules, succession proceedings, protective-order activity, and many court settings tied to local filings. The Clerk of Court remains the record custodian for filed pleadings and certified copies, so court scheduling and court records are related but not the same task.

LaSalle Parish District Court Offices

District Court access depends on the local courthouse office network. The judge's office manages court operations and scheduling. The Clerk of Court keeps the court file, accepts filings, and issues certified copies. The District Attorney files and prosecutes criminal charges. The public defender office handles eligible indigent defense cases. These offices are distinct, so the right contact depends on the task.

The 28th JDC juror page is one official court operations source. Its jury-service context is shown in this District Court juror information source image.

That juror source helps identify court administration details, but case filings and certified copies still route through the Clerk of Court.

LaSalle Parish Single-Member District

LaSalle Parish is not part of a multi-parish judicial district. The official court history says the 28th Judicial District Court is a single-member judicial district composed of all of LaSalle Parish. Judge Peters is described as the tenth judge in LaSalle Parish history, first elected in 2008, and taking the bench on January 1, 2009. The court's local history notes that LaSalle Parish was created in 1910 from the western section of Catahoula Parish and that Jena is the parish seat.

The single-member structure makes the local court map easier to follow. A District Court case will usually lead back to the Jena courthouse area, the 28th JDC judge's office, and the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court. Lower-court, municipal, Sheriff, and federal records still have separate custodians. A DWI tied to a criminal case may belong in District Court, while a small ordinance ticket may stay with the court named on the citation.

The court links page gives official routes to statewide court resources, local offices, rules, the Clerk, the Sheriff, and town information. That context is shown in this 28th JDC links source image.

Those links help locate related offices, but the case type and issuing court still determine which office can answer a record question.

LaSalle Parish District Court Calendar

The 28th JDC court calendar is useful for schedule awareness, but it is not a final guarantee that a date, time, or docket entry has not changed. The official calendar page says all court proceedings begin at 9:30 a.m. unless otherwise scheduled. It also warns that docket information, court dates, and court schedules on the website may change without notification.

The key rule is direct notice. The court page states that information received directly from the judge's office or the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court should be considered official notice of the docket. For anyone with an active case, that means a web calendar listing should be checked against mailed notice, direct Clerk notice, counsel communications, or judge's-office instructions.

Note: Arrive early for court settings and confirm the date directly if a docket entry, summons, or notice appears inconsistent.

District Court vs Lower Courts

LaSalle Parish District Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court, but not every local record begins there. Louisiana also uses justice of the peace, mayor, municipal, city, parish, juvenile, family, appeal, and supreme court layers depending on place and case type. The research identified Justice of the Peace Court and mayor's or municipal court where a municipality maintains one as the local lower-court categories to watch in LaSalle Parish.

LaSalle District Court Case Movement

A case moves through offices as well as hearings. A civil case starts with a filing and service. A criminal case may begin with arrest or citation activity before the District Attorney files formal charges. A succession begins with pleadings or affidavits filed through the Clerk. The same courthouse address can appear in each path, but the custodian, prosecutor, judge, and defense office have different roles.

Civil flow: Petition filed with Clerk › service issued › answer or response › motions or rules › setting or trial › judgment › appeal if taken.

Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › bond or first appearance › bill of information or indictment › arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › sentence › appeal if taken.

Succession flow: Petition or affidavit prepared › filed with Clerk › judge review or hearing if needed › order or judgment of possession › certified copies requested for title, bank, or property use.

LaSalle District Court Jury and Video Rules

The official juror page gives local jury-service rules and a jury line. Jurors must call after 3:00 p.m. on the Friday before the summons date for instructions. The research lists the jury line as (318) 992-7315. It also names Emmy Brooks as the jury contact for qualification, exemption, or hardship questions before 4:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the summons date.

Juror qualifications include U.S. citizenship, residence in LaSalle Parish for at least one year immediately before selection, being at least 18 years old, and being able to read, write, and speak English. The official research also notes limits for interdiction or incapacity, felony indictment, incarceration, probation, or parole. Exemptions include age 70 or older and service as a grand or petit juror in a criminal or civil case within two years before selection.

The 28th JDC video conference procedure allows pretrial conferences by video when parties desire it, all parties agree, all parties participate by video, and each device is specifically identified. The court also says certain matters may be heard by video where allowed by the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure or Code of Criminal Procedure and where all parties agree.

The court's remote-hearing process is shown in this District Court video conference source image.

That video source supports remote-hearing planning, but it should not be read as permission to miss an in-person setting without direct court approval.

LaSalle Parish Court Hierarchy

Louisiana's court structure starts with the Louisiana Supreme Court, then moves through five courts of appeal, District Courts, and limited-jurisdiction courts. The official Louisiana judicial branch overview describes the statewide system and court types. LaSalle Parish sits in the District Court layer through the 28th JDC, with appeal routes to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Third Circuit for state District Court final judgments.

The official judicial branch overview is shown in this Louisiana judicial branch source image.

The statewide hierarchy image gives the larger court map, while local access still depends on whether the record is a 28th JDC file, lower-court matter, or federal case.

The Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal is the appellate court named for LaSalle Parish District Court judgments in the research file. Its official site lists LaSalle among the parishes in its territory.

The appellate route is supported by this Third Circuit Court of Appeal source image.

Appeals are separate from routine copy requests, so a person seeking a filed District Court record should still begin with the Clerk unless an appellate docket is already open.

District Court and Clerk Records

The District Court hears and decides cases. The Clerk of Court keeps the filed record. That distinction is central in LaSalle Parish because the same courthouse street address can lead to different offices. The judge's office can address scheduling, video procedure, court status, and direct docket notice. The Clerk handles civil and criminal pleadings, filings, certified copies, marriage and divorce copy access, succession filings, land records, mortgage and conveyance records, UCC filings, and search fees.

For a hearing date, call or rely on direct notice from the court or Clerk. For a certified judgment, minute entry, divorce decree, succession paper, or filed pleading, contact the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court. For criminal charging decisions, the District Attorney is the prosecutor. For eligible defense representation, the District 28 Public Defender office is the researched channel. This division keeps a records request from being sent to the wrong office.