St. John the Baptist Parish DUI Records
St. John the Baptist Parish DUI records are maintained by the 40th Judicial District Court Clerk in Edgard, and include all criminal case filings, drunk driving charges, court dispositions, and sentencing records for DUI cases in this River Region parish northwest of New Orleans. You can search these records by contacting Clerk Eliana J. DeFrancesch's office, using the clerk's website, or accessing statewide online tools to find DUI case information and request copies of court documents.
40th JDC Clerk of Court
Clerk of Court Eliana J. DeFrancesch manages all 40th Judicial District Court records from the courthouse at 2393 Highway 18, Edgard, LA 70049. The office phone is (985) 497-3331, and the email is edefrancesch@stjohnclerk.com. The clerk's website is at stjohnclerk.com. This office is the primary custodian of all DUI criminal case records filed in St. John the Baptist Parish, including charging documents, plea records, sentencing orders, and any related court filings.
To request St. John the Baptist Parish DUI records, you can call the office, send an email, visit in person in Edgard, or check the clerk's website for online access options. Staff can search by case number or defendant name to confirm what's on file for any DUI matter in the 40th JDC. In-person visits allow same-day copies in most cases. Mail requests take longer but are accepted.
The clerk's office hours and any current fees for copies can be confirmed by calling (985) 497-3331 before you visit or send a request. The clerk's website also provides guidance on what services are available and how to submit a records request remotely.
40th Judicial District Court
The 40th Judicial District Court serves St. John the Baptist Parish exclusively. The court's website at 40thjdc.com provides information about the court's structure, judge assignments, and how criminal cases including DUI are handled in the district. St. John the Baptist is one of the smaller single-parish judicial districts in Louisiana, which means the court focuses entirely on cases arising within the parish.
The 40th JDC website is a useful resource for understanding DUI case procedures specific to St. John the Baptist Parish. The screenshot below shows the court's website, which covers all criminal matters heard in the district.
40th Judicial District Court handles all DUI and criminal cases for St. John the Baptist Parish from its Edgard location.
The court site lists judge information and can help you understand which division would have handled a specific DUI case filed in St. John the Baptist Parish.
DUI Laws in St. John the Baptist Parish
All DUI arrests in St. John the Baptist Parish are prosecuted under Louisiana law. The main statute is La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98, which prohibits operating a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher or while impaired by any substance. First-time DUI charges in St. John the Baptist Parish are misdemeanors. The 40th JDC handles these cases, and the resulting court record includes all filings through final disposition.
Second-offense DUI cases in St. John the Baptist Parish are charged under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.1, which requires minimum 48 hours in jail and higher fines than a first offense. Third offenses fall under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.2 and carry mandatory one-year minimum jail time under state law. The court record for these cases includes documentation of each prior DUI conviction used to support the enhanced charge.
Fourth and subsequent DUI offenses in St. John the Baptist Parish are charged as felonies under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.4. These cases produce detailed felony court files including sentencing records and, in some instances, pre-sentence investigation reports. All of these records are filed with and held by the 40th JDC Clerk in Edgard.
Note: The I-10 corridor through St. John the Baptist Parish generates a significant share of DUI arrests. Some of these are made by Louisiana State Police rather than local agencies, but all charges are still filed in the 40th JDC.
Sheriff and Arrest Records
Sheriff Mike Tregre heads the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, located at 1801 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace. The Sheriff's Office holds arrest-level records for DUI bookings in the parish. If you need information about a DUI arrest before charges were filed with the 40th JDC, the Sheriff's Office is the right contact. For court records after charges are filed, go to the Clerk of Court in Edgard.
A complete picture of any St. John the Baptist DUI case involves records from both offices. The Sheriff's booking record documents the arrest; the Clerk's file documents the court proceedings. These are separate records held by two different agencies.
Louisiana's public records law, La. R.S. 44:1, makes most criminal court records in St. John the Baptist Parish open to the public. DUI case files can be requested by anyone. Some records may be restricted if they involve a juvenile defendant or if an expungement was granted after the case concluded.
Online Records Search Tools
The eClerks Louisiana portal provides free access to public case index data from Louisiana parishes. Searching by name or case number on eClerks may show St. John the Baptist Parish DUI cases with basic information like filing date, case type, and status. This is a quick way to confirm whether a case is on file before calling the clerk's office.
Clerk Connect is a second statewide search option. Check whether the 40th JDC Clerk participates in Clerk Connect for additional online access. Between eClerks, Clerk Connect, and the clerk's own website at stjohnclerk.com, multiple online paths exist for finding St. John the Baptist DUI records before making a phone call or in-person visit.
Driving Records and Crash Reports
A DUI conviction in St. John the Baptist Parish can result in a license suspension under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:667, tracked by the Louisiana OMV independently of the court case. Driving records showing suspension history and DUI conviction entries can be ordered through the OMV ExpressLane portal for $20 per three-year record. These are separate from court records but give a picture of the license consequences of a DUI in St. John the Baptist Parish.
The implied consent rule under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:661 applies to all DUI stops in St. John the Baptist Parish. Refusing a chemical test triggers an OMV license action separate from any criminal penalty. That refusal record is held by the OMV, not by the 40th JDC Clerk.
If a St. John the Baptist Parish DUI involved a crash, accident reports are available from the Louisiana State Police at crashreports.dps.la.gov for $11.50 each. For a statewide criminal history check that includes St. John the Baptist DUI convictions along with records from other Louisiana parishes, the BCII background check is available online for $26.