Red River Parish DUI Records

39th JDC Clerk of Court

The Red River Parish Clerk of Court handles all criminal filings for the 39th Judicial District, including DUI cases. The office is located at 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019, and can be reached at (318) 932-6741. Staff can help you look up case numbers, confirm court dates, and tell you what documents are on file for a given DUI charge. In-person visits are the most direct way to get copies of case records.

DUI cases in Red River Parish typically include the arrest report, the charge sheet, any bond records, and court hearing notes. If a case went to trial or ended in a plea, those records will also be on file. The clerk's office keeps criminal records as part of the public record under Louisiana law, so most filed documents can be viewed or copied for a fee.

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association lists Red River Parish as one of its member offices. The directory page for the association gives contact details for every parish clerk in the state.

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association maintains a directory you can use to verify clerk contact info. The screenshot below shows the directory page where Red River Parish's clerk is listed.

Louisiana Clerks of Court Association lists Red River Parish among its member parishes.

The directory confirms the clerk's address in Coushatta and is a good starting point when you need to reach the office.

How to Search Red River Parish DUI Cases

Red River Parish is a small rural parish. Online search options are more limited than in larger parishes, but a few tools can still help. The eClerks Louisiana portal provides free public access to case index information for many Louisiana parishes. Search by name or case number to see if a Red River DUI case appears in the index. Results may include case type, filing date, and current status.

Clerk Connect is another statewide system that some Louisiana clerks use to share records online. Availability varies by parish, so it's worth checking whether Red River is a participating office. If online access isn't available for your specific case, calling the clerk at (318) 932-6741 is the fastest way to confirm what's on file.

Note: Not all older Red River Parish DUI records are available in digital databases. Cases from the 1990s or earlier may only be accessible through in-person requests at the Coushatta courthouse.

Red River Parish DUI Laws and Charges

Louisiana's main DUI statute is La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98, which defines operating a vehicle while impaired. The law sets the legal blood alcohol limit at 0.08% for most drivers. A first offense is typically a misdemeanor. Repeat offenses carry heavier penalties under state law.

A second DUI offense is governed by La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.1, and a third offense falls under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.2. Fourth and subsequent offenses are treated as felonies. Each of these statutes sets out the fines, jail time, and license consequences that the court must apply in Red River Parish and across Louisiana.

When someone is arrested for DUI in Red River Parish, the arresting officer may ask them to take a chemical test. Refusing that test has its own legal consequences under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:661, which covers implied consent. Refusal can lead to a license suspension independent of the criminal case. License-related penalties are covered separately from the court criminal record, and those records go through the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

Crash Reports and Driving Records

If a Red River Parish DUI involved a crash, the accident report is a separate document from the court record. The Louisiana State Police maintains crash reports through their online portal at crashreports.dps.la.gov. Reports cost $11.50 each and can be ordered online. These reports show who was involved, the crash location, and whether any citations or DUI charges were issued at the scene.

Driving records are available through Louisiana's OMV ExpressLane portal. A three-year driving record costs $20 and shows license status, suspensions, and conviction history tied to a driver's record in Louisiana. This is a useful supplement to a court record search if you need to see how a DUI conviction affected someone's driving privileges.

For a full background check that includes criminal history beyond Red River Parish, the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) offers statewide criminal record searches for $26 online. This can pull DUI convictions from courts across the state, not just Red River.

Red River Parish Arrest and Criminal Records

DUI arrests generate records at two points: the arrest itself and the subsequent court case. Arrest records in Red River Parish are held by the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office. Court records, once charges are filed, are held by the Clerk of Court. These are two separate offices. You may need to contact both if you want a full picture of a DUI case from arrest through final disposition.

Louisiana's Public Records Law, La. R.S. 44:1, generally makes criminal court records open to the public. Anyone can request access to DUI case files. There are some exceptions for juvenile cases or sealed records, but standard adult DUI cases are public. The clerk can tell you if any portion of a file has been sealed or if an expungement has been granted.

If someone's DUI record in Red River Parish was expunged, it may no longer appear in standard public searches. Expungements clear the record from public view, though law enforcement may still access the underlying data in some circumstances.

Note: Red River Parish is a small parish, so the clerk's staff handles a wide range of tasks. During busy court periods, response times for record requests may be slower.

License Suspension After a Red River DUI

A DUI conviction in Red River Parish can lead to a license suspension through the Louisiana OMV, separate from any jail or fine ordered by the court. Under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:667, the OMV can suspend a driver's license based on a DUI conviction or a refusal to submit to chemical testing. The length of the suspension depends on the number of prior offenses.

Reinstatement after suspension requires meeting OMV requirements, which may include completing a substance abuse program and paying reinstatement fees. The OMV ExpressLane portal can help you check the current status of a Louisiana driver's license if you need to confirm whether a suspension is active.

Fourth-offense DUI charges in Red River Parish, covered under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.4, are felonies that can result in state prison time. Those cases are tried in the 39th Judicial District Court in Coushatta and produce a full set of felony court records that are part of the public record.

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