St. John the Baptist Parish Court Docket
St. John the Baptist Parish court docket records are maintained by the 39th Judicial District Clerk of Court, with offices in both Edgard and LaPlace, covering all civil, criminal, domestic, and succession cases in the parish. This page explains how to find court records, reach the clerk, and what the public can access under Louisiana law.
St. John the Baptist Parish Quick Facts
St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court
The 39th Judicial District serves St. John the Baptist Parish only. The clerk maintains two office locations - the main courthouse in Edgard and an annex in LaPlace, which is the more populated side of the parish. Hon. Eluid J. Jupiter, Jr. serves as Clerk of Court. Both offices are open Monday through Friday during standard business hours.
The clerk's website is stjohnclerkonline.org. The parish participates in Clerk Connect, which offers e-filing and online case access. This is one of the more connected rural parishes in terms of digital access. Both offices handle records, but it is worth calling ahead to confirm which location holds the specific file you need.
| Clerk of Court | Hon. Eluid J. Jupiter, Jr. |
| Edgard Office | 2393 LA Hwy. 18, Edgard, LA 70049 |
| Edgard Phone | (985) 497-3331 |
| Edgard Fax | (985) 497-3811 |
| LaPlace Office | 1811 W. Airline Hwy., Suite 125, LaPlace, LA 70068 |
| LaPlace Phone | (985) 652-9518 |
| Hours | Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Website | stjohnclerkonline.org |
The Louisiana Secretary of State maintains the statewide clerk directory, including current contact information for both St. John the Baptist Parish offices.
The First Circuit Court of Appeal covers the 39th Judicial District for St. John the Baptist Parish. Source: Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal.
How to Search St. John the Baptist Parish Court Dockets
Start at the clerk's website: stjohnclerkonline.org. It may offer a local case search tool or link directly to online portals. From there, check Clerk Connect, which St. John the Baptist Parish uses for e-filing and record access.
Clerk Connect is a subscription platform used statewide. It lets you search case indexes for free and access document images with a paid account. Since St. John the Baptist participates in e-filing, recently filed documents appear in the system faster than in parishes without e-filing. eClerks LA is a second portal that aggregates index data from many Louisiana clerks.
For help finding a specific case, call the Edgard office at (985) 497-3331 or the LaPlace annex at (985) 652-9518. Staff can search by party name or case number. Copies are $0.50 to $1.00 per page. If you need records by mail, write to the Edgard courthouse and include identifying details about the case.
St. John the Baptist Parish Docket Record Types
The 39th Judicial District handles the full range of case types for the parish. Civil records cover lawsuits, property claims, contract disputes, and civil judgments. Criminal records include all felony proceedings from charge through final outcome. These records are public and include pleas, trial dates, verdicts, and sentencing information.
Family court records cover divorce filings, custody determinations, child support, and protective orders. Succession files are open to the public and useful for estate research. The clerk's notarial archive includes acts of sale, mortgages, and other property documents that go back generations. These are essential for any real estate transaction in the parish.
- Civil suits and money judgments
- Criminal felony case records
- Divorce, custody, and support matters
- Successions and tutorships
- Mortgage and conveyance records
- Notarial archives
- E-filed documents (through Clerk Connect)
Juvenile files are sealed under Children's Code Art. 412. Adoption records are not public. Grand jury materials are closed. All other district court records are open for inspection by any adult.
Online Docket Access in St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish has relatively strong online access because it participates in the Clerk Connect e-filing system. E-filing means new court documents are entered into the online system directly, making them searchable faster than in parishes that still rely entirely on paper filing and manual entry.
The Clerk Connect portal offers a free index search. To download documents, you need a subscription. Attorneys and legal professionals working regularly in the parish will find the subscription worthwhile for the document access it provides. eClerks LA is a good backup tool if you want a second system to cross-reference.
For matters where online access falls short - older records, sealed matters, or anything not yet uploaded - contact the clerk at either office. The LaPlace annex at (985) 652-9518 may be more convenient for residents on the east bank of the parish.
Public Records Law and St. John the Baptist Parish Court Dockets
Louisiana's Public Records Law, codified at La. R.S. § 44:32, gives every adult the right to inspect and copy public records during business hours. No reason is needed. Court dockets in St. John the Baptist Parish are public by default under this law.
In-person inspection is free. Copy fees run $0.50 to $1.00 per page. You can take notes from a file at no charge. If the clerk refuses access to a record you believe is public, the law gives you the right to seek relief through the courts.
Records that are not public include juvenile case files (Children's Code Art. 412), sealed court orders, adoption files, grand jury materials, and certain mental health records. La. R.S. § 13:503 also requires that court hearings be held in public unless a judge closes them. All other court records in the 39th Judicial District are open to anyone.
Legal Help in St. John the Baptist Parish
The Louisiana State Bar Association has a referral program that connects you with attorneys in the River Parishes area. Many attorneys from the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas also take cases in the 39th Judicial District. Search by practice area and location on the bar's website.
Louisiana Law Help provides plain-language guides to Louisiana courts and clerk services. For low-income residents, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services may provide free civil legal assistance. The Louisiana Supreme Court website has court forms, self-help materials, and a court system directory.
Cities in St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish includes one city with a court docket page: LaPlace, which is served by the clerk's annex office on W. Airline Hwy. All court docket filings for LaPlace cases are maintained through the 39th Judicial District Clerk of Court.
Nearby Parishes
St. John the Baptist Parish is part of the River Parishes region in southeast Louisiana and neighbors several other parishes along the Mississippi River corridor.