Calcasieu Parish Felony Records

Calcasieu Parish felony records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Lake Charles, where the 14th Judicial District Court handles all felony cases filed in the parish. Clerk H. Lynn Jones has overseen the office since 2004. You can request felony records in person at the courthouse on Ryan Street, submit a mail request with the required information, or contact the criminal records department directly. This page explains how to find, request, and understand Calcasieu Parish felony records.

Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court Contact

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court is located at 1000 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602. Main phone is (337) 437-3550 and fax is (337) 437-3350. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Clerk H. Lynn Jones has led the office since 2004.

The criminal records department has specific extension numbers for different services. Appeals (criminal) is Extension 176. Archives can be reached at Extension 193 or 207. Bonds is Extension 152. Juvenile records require Extension 206 or 131. Subpoenas are handled at Extension 134. The criminal records fax line is (337) 437-3833. Having the right extension saves time when calling for records information.

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court website at calclerkofcourt.com covers records services, department contacts, and information about in-person and mail requests for criminal records.

How to Request Calcasieu Parish Felony Records

To request a criminal record from the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court, you need specific identifying information. The office requires the defendant's full name, date of birth, the charge or charges, and the year or approximate year of the charge. No standard form is required for a regular criminal record request. However, a court order is required for sexual offense records, juvenile records, and violent crime records.

Wait times depend on where the record is stored. Records held on-premises take five to ten minutes. Records in offsite storage take up to three days. Plan ahead if you think the case may be older, as older files are more likely to be in archive storage rather than at the main courthouse.

One important limitation: the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court only has knowledge of charges that were filed with their office. This means records only cover cases in the 14th Judicial District Court system. Lake Charles City Court and Sulphur City Court records are not housed at the Clerk of Court. If you need records from those courts, contact them directly. RS 44:31 gives you the right to inspect public records held by the clerk, but only the clerk can tell you what they actually have.

The criminal records request page at calcasieuclerk.gov walks through the process for submitting a request and explains what information you need to provide.

Records Available Through Calcasieu Parish Clerk

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk maintains a broad range of records beyond just felony cases. The office keeps marriage licenses, passport applications, protective orders, property sale records, adoptions, military discharge records, lawsuit filings, deeds and mortgages, court minutes, and expungements. Criminal records are one category among many handled by this busy office.

For felony cases specifically, the record will include the bill of information or indictment, arraignment documents, motion filings, minute entries from each court appearance, plea information, and the final disposition order. All of this is part of the public record under RS 44:31 once the case reaches final judgment. Under RS 44:3, records tied to active cases or pending litigation remain restricted until the case closes.

Copies of records cost $1.00 per page for standard photocopies. The office also handles expungement filings. Under RS 44:9, Louisiana law allows certain felony arrests to be expunged from public access after a court order. Expunged records are not destroyed but are removed from the public record. Felony convictions generally cannot be expunged.

Online and Statewide Resources for Calcasieu Records

Calcasieu Parish does not currently have a public-facing online case search portal that was accessible at the time of research. For online searches related to Calcasieu cases, the ClerkConnect portal is a statewide resource worth checking. Some parish-level records may be accessible there depending on what Calcasieu has connected to the system.

For broader criminal history searches, contact the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information at (225) 925-6095. A state background check costs $26. Adding FBI records brings the total to $39.25. The LSP Internet Background Check system handles authorized agency requests online.

Federal felony cases involving Calcasieu Parish defendants are accessible through the PACER system at pacer.uscourts.gov. Federal cases go through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, which covers the Lake Charles area. PACER charges $0.10 per page with fees under $30 per quarter waived.

The statewide eClerks LA portal and eVault LA system also offer record access for participating Louisiana parishes. City of Lake Charles felony records run through the Calcasieu Parish Clerk and the 14th Judicial District Court.