Find St. Bernard Parish DUI Records

St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court

Clerk Randy Nunez oversees all 34th JDC records from the courthouse at 1101 W. St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette, LA 70043. The office phone is (504) 271-3434. The 34th JDC has five judges sitting in Divisions A through E, handling the full range of criminal matters including DUI cases. When a DUI charge is filed in St. Bernard Parish, it is assigned to one of these divisions and tracked through that division's docket.

The clerk's office can search by name or case number and confirm what's on file for a given DUI case. Copies of charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and probation records can be requested in person or by mail. The clerk can tell you the copy fee and how long a request will take to process.

St. Bernard Parish Government provides public records request information through its website. The image below shows the public records section of the St. Bernard Parish Government site, a useful starting point for understanding the request process.

St. Bernard Parish Government provides guidance on submitting public records requests for parish records including court documents.

For court-specific records like DUI case files, the Clerk of Court at (504) 271-3434 is the right office to contact after reviewing the parish government's records request procedures.

St. Bernard Parish DUI Laws

All DUI arrests in St. Bernard Parish are prosecuted under Louisiana state law. The primary statute is La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98, which makes it illegal to operate a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher, or while impaired by any substance. First-time DUI cases in St. Bernard are misdemeanors tried in the 34th JDC. The court record for a first offense typically includes the charging document, any bond records, and the final disposition.

Second offense DUI in St. Bernard Parish is prosecuted under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.1 and carries mandatory minimum penalties. Third-offense cases fall under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.2. For repeat offenders, court records are more extensive and may include pre-sentence investigation reports, proof of completed substance abuse treatment, and documentation of prior DUI convictions used to enhance the charge.

How to Search St. Bernard DUI Records Online

The eClerks Louisiana portal offers free access to public case index data. Search by name or case number to see if a St. Bernard Parish DUI case appears in the system. Basic information like case type, filing date, and status is often available without any fees. eClerks is a good starting point before calling the clerk.

Clerk Connect is another statewide tool worth checking. Some Louisiana clerks use it to provide online document access beyond just case index data. If St. Bernard participates, you may be able to see more detail about a specific DUI case through that portal. Availability can vary, so it's worth checking both systems.

St. Bernard Parish's location near New Orleans means some DUI arrests may overlap with Louisiana State Police jurisdiction or local municipal police agencies. If the arrest was made by the Louisiana State Police, you may also need to check state-level records in addition to the 34th JDC court file.

Note: St. Bernard Parish was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Some older court records from before the storm may have been damaged or relocated. If you're searching for a pre-2005 DUI record, contact the clerk directly to confirm what's available.

Arrest Records and Criminal History

DUI arrest records in St. Bernard Parish are initially held by the arresting agency, which may be the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, the Chalmette Police Department, or the Louisiana State Police. Each agency keeps its own arrest log. Court records are filed separately with the 34th JDC Clerk of Court after the DA formally charges the case.

Louisiana's public records framework under La. R.S. 44:1 makes most criminal court records accessible to the public. This includes DUI case files in St. Bernard Parish. You can request the charging document, court hearing transcripts, and sentencing orders without needing to be a party to the case. The clerk's office can walk you through the process.

For a statewide criminal history report covering DUI convictions across all Louisiana parishes, the BCII background check is available online for $26. This is useful if you want to confirm whether a St. Bernard Parish DUI conviction shows up alongside any other criminal history in Louisiana's statewide database.

Driving Records and Chemical Test Refusals

A DUI conviction in St. Bernard Parish can result in a license suspension handled by the Louisiana OMV under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:667. Driving records showing license status and conviction history are available through the OMV ExpressLane portal for $20 per three-year record. The OMV record and the court record are separate documents, each held by a different agency.

Louisiana's implied consent law under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:661 applies to all St. Bernard Parish DUI stops. Refusing to take a breath or blood test triggers an administrative license action at the OMV independent of the criminal case outcome. That refusal record is held by the OMV, not by the 34th JDC Clerk of Court.

If a St. Bernard Parish DUI involved an accident, crash reports are available through the Louisiana State Police at crashreports.dps.la.gov for $11.50 each. Crash reports and court records together give the most complete picture of a DUI incident.

Fourth-offense DUI cases in St. Bernard Parish are felonies under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.4 and produce more detailed court records than misdemeanor cases, including grand jury materials and felony sentencing documents.

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