Acadia Parish District Court
Acadia Parish is in the 15th Judicial District Court, a multi-parish Louisiana district that also serves Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. District courts are Louisiana's primary trial courts of general jurisdiction. In practical terms, that means district court is the main venue for felony criminal cases, major civil cases, domestic relations, probate and succession matters, and other proceedings not assigned to a lower local court.
The Acadia Parish courthouse record path runs through the Acadia Parish Clerk of Court at 500 North Parkerson Ave. in Crowley. The Clerk states that court and related records have been kept since parish creation in 1887 and that the office maintains marriage, wills, land, civil, and criminal lawsuit records. The 15th JDC provides court-level resources such as division pages, the court calendar, family court, FINS, misdemeanor probation, specialty court, orders and forms, and accommodations.
For Acadia Parish district court records, use the Clerk for filed case records and certified copies, the court calendar for hearing dates, the District Attorney for prosecution matters, and the public defender for eligible defense representation. These offices are related, but they are not interchangeable record custodians.
15th JDC Division Table
The 15th Judicial District Court is organized by divisions rather than separate numbered county courts. The Clerk's judges page and 15th JDC sources identify divisions A through M and a commissioner. Not every judge is physically based in Acadia Parish, but the divisions serve the district on assigned or rotating bases.
| Division / Officer | Judge / Officer | Acadia Parish Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Division A | Scott Privat | P.O. Box 1366, Crowley, LA 70527; office (337) 788-8817; fax (337) 783-0566. |
| Division B | Valerie Gotch Garrett | P.O. Box Drawer 3568, Lafayette, LA 70502; office (337) 269-5708; fax (337) 269-5726. |
| Division C | Thomas Frederick | 15th JDC bio notes service to Lafayette and Acadia on a rotating basis from Vermilion Parish. |
| Division D | Judge Colbert | Listed in 15th JDC division navigation; phone details should be rechecked on the court site. |
| Division E | Judge Breaux | Listed in 15th JDC navigation and court news context. |
| Division F | Judge Smith | Listed in 15th JDC navigation. |
| Division G | Judge Hulin | Listed in 15th JDC navigation. |
| Division H | Judge Blanchet | Listed in 15th JDC navigation and court news context. |
| Division I | Judge Duplantier | Listed in 15th JDC navigation and court news context. |
| Division J | Judge Wagar | Listed in 15th JDC navigation. |
| Division K | Judge Billeaud | Listed in 15th JDC navigation and court news context. |
| Division L | Judge Spadoni | Listed in 15th JDC navigation and court news context. |
| Division M | Judge Theall, Chief Judge | 15th JDC homepage identifies Division M and the chief judge role. |
| Commissioner | Andre' Doguet | 15th JDC homepage identifies Commissioner Andre' Doguet. |
Note: Division assignment can affect hearing calendars, but the Clerk remains the core record custodian for filed Acadia Parish district court case documents.
Court Comparison
Acadia Parish record searches work best when the user separates district court from lower local courts. Louisiana does not route every local dispute to the same case system. A felony prosecution, a succession, a divorce judgment, a Crowley city ticket, and a justice of the peace eviction can require different search and contact paths.
| Point | District Court | City / Mayor's Court | Justice of the Peace Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General trial court for major civil, felony, family, probate/succession, and other district matters. | Local ordinance, traffic, municipal, and city-level cases depending on the court. | Limited civil matters such as small claims and evictions within statutory limits. |
| Record path | Clerk of Court, Clerk Connect if enabled, and 15th JDC calendar for dates. | The local court or payment portal named on the ticket or summons. | The JP court handling the local civil or eviction matter. |
| Traffic matters | Serious or criminal traffic-linked cases may reach district court. | Crowley City Court tickets use QuickCourt when applicable. | Usually not the main traffic payment path unless a specific local matter is assigned there. |
| Warrants | Bench warrants and capias entries may appear in district criminal minutes or orders. | Missed local appearances can create court-specific warrant issues. | Failure to appear or comply may create lower-court enforcement issues. |
The distinction also matters for appeals. State district court appeals from the region go to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Third Circuit, and then potentially to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Federal cases are separate and use the Western District of Louisiana, the Fifth Circuit, and federal record systems.
Acadia Parish Case Flow
A case flow is the path a matter takes from filing or arrest to result. Civil and criminal cases do not move the same way, but both create docket entries and filed documents through the court record system. Use the court calendar for hearing dates, the Clerk for the filed record, and the proper agency for records outside the court file.
Criminal flow: Arrest or summons › prosecutor review › bill of information or indictment › arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentence › appeal or post-judgment relief.
Civil flow: Petition filed › service › answer or default › motions › discovery › settlement, hearing, or trial › judgment › appeal or collection/enforcement.
Probate and succession flow: Succession pleading or will filed › case opened in district court › notices, inventory, descriptive list, or administration as needed › judgment of possession or court order › certified copies requested from the Clerk.
Calendar and Record Access
The 15th JDC Court Calendar is the official court-level channel for hearing and docket dates. It should not be treated as a document-download portal. For pleadings, orders, judgments, certified copies, civil history searches, criminal history searches, probate files, marriage records, and older records, use the Acadia Parish Clerk Research and Records channels.
Online research can also involve Clerk Connect, a multi-parish Louisiana portal with subscription search and print capability where participating clerk offices enable modules. The public portal text mentions civil suits, criminal cases, property records, land records, e-recording, and e-filing, but the static inspection did not prove every Acadia module or field. If Clerk Connect does not return a result, call the Clerk at (337) 788-8881 or use Copy/Research extension 332.
The manifest assigns a Louisiana Office of the State Public Defender District 15 image for district court context.
The public defender source is relevant because district court criminal cases may involve appointed defense counsel for eligible defendants, with a separate Acadia office in Crowley.
District Court Offices
The courthouse, district attorney, public defender, sheriff, and jail each serve different roles in district court work. The Clerk keeps the filed case record. The judge and court manage hearings and orders. The district attorney prosecutes state criminal cases. The public defender provides constitutionally required representation to eligible indigent accused persons. The sheriff handles jail custody, service, traffic/bonds, and related law-enforcement functions.
Acadia Parish Clerk of Court
500 North Parkerson Ave.
Crowley, LA 70526
(337) 788-8881
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm
15th Judicial District Attorney
500 North Parkerson Ave., 3rd Floor
Crowley, LA 70526
(337) 788-8831
District office for Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermilion.
District 15 Public Defender
112 East Hutchison
Crowley, LA 70526
(337) 788-3635
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm
District Programs and Limits
The 15th JDC website includes resources for Specialty Court, Family Court, Kids First, Families in Need of Services, and misdemeanor probation. These are court programs or resources within the district, not separate public record offices with a standalone search portal. Program eligibility and access are determined by court rules, prosecutor and defense roles, and program requirements.
Family and youth-related records may have limits. Louisiana Children's Code Article 412 makes juvenile records confidential except as law permits, and adoption-related records are also restricted under state law. Family court records can contain public filings, sealed material, protected personal identifiers, and minor-related information. Ask the Clerk or court whether a specific document can be inspected or copied before assuming it is available online.
State and Federal Boundaries
Acadia Parish district court records are state court records. Federal criminal prosecutions, civil-rights cases, federal habeas matters, bankruptcy cases, federal tax disputes, and federal agency litigation do not sit in the Acadia Parish Clerk's office. Federal district cases for this region use the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, bankruptcy cases use the Western District bankruptcy court, and federal appeals go to the Fifth Circuit.
Use PACER or federal CM/ECF for federal court records. Use the Bureau of Prisons locator for sentenced federal inmates. Use the Clerk, 15th JDC calendar, sheriff, or local lower court for parish and local matters. Keeping those boundaries clear prevents a failed federal search from being mistaken for no district court case, or a missing district court result from being mistaken for no local ticket or JP matter.