A Brief Explanation of the Orleans Parish Civil & Criminal Court System, 1804-1926
The City Archives holds the original records of the Orleans Parish civil (1804-1926) and criminal (1830-1932)
courts. The Genealogical Society of Utah has filmed most of the records from these courts that they
considered to have genealogical significance. The remaining records are unfilmed. These unfilmed records
are not always available on demand. Some records require 24-hour humidification before they can be viewed.
Researchers wishing to view unfilmed court records must be registered to use the original materials and
consult with one of the archivists.
 Additional detail on a number of the courts below can be found in the Orleans Parish Court Records page at
neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/courts.htm.
Information on ordering court records by mail can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/info/louinfo/courtfee.htm.
Civil Courts
Louisiana has gone through several very different court systems since its purchase by the United States. The
periods covered by each system and the courts active during those periods are as follows:
Territorial Period (1803-1812)
- Governor's Court (1803)
- This court was established by Governor Claiborne to handle cases still pending in Spanish Courts. Except for several items, the
records are no longer extant.
- Court of Pleas (1804)
- On December 30, 1803 William C. C. Claiborne, acting as Governor General and Intendant of the Province of Louisiana,
established a Court of Pleas for the City of New Orleans. The Court was to consist of not less than seven justices who were to
be appointed by the Governor and to serve at his pleasure. It was to meet at least once each week. Three justices were
deemed sufficient to form a court, with a majority of those present required for a decision to be rendered. Claiborne gave the
Court jurisdiction in all suits not exceeding $3000. He also provided that justices would have summary power to make individual
decisions in civil matters in which the value at stake was less than twenty dollars. In addition, Claiborne gave the justices power
to rule on minor criminal offenses. Disputed matters valued at more than $500 were appealable to the Governor.
Only the minute book has survived. The volume has been digitized at www.lib.lsu.edu/special/purchase. An index to the
minute book is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/court of pleas index.htm.
- County Court (1804-1807)
- The County Court (covering the Territorial County of Orleans) was given jurisdiction in civil matters involving debts of more than
fifty dollars or injuries to persons or property of less than one hundred dollars. The court also had jurisdiction in all non-capital
criminal matters; that is, those which could not be punished with death or which were not exclusively within the jurisdiction of a
superior court.
Digital images of these records are available online at www.lib.lsu.edu/special/purchase. An inventory to the County
Court civil suits can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/countycourt/countyac.htm.
An index to the criminal suits can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/crinv.htm.
- Superior Court (1804-1813)
- The Superior Court was created in March 1804 (Act 284, 1st Session) to replace the Court of Pleas, which had been established
under the temporary government of Territory of Orleans following the Louisiana Purchase. During the territorial period, the
Superior Court was roughly analogous to today's Louisiana Supreme Court, i.e., operating as a court of last resort.
The records of this court have not been microfilmed. Due to the fragile condition of many of the records, photocopies may not
be made from the original records.
An index to the Superior Court records is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/superior/sup.htm.
- Court of Probates (1804-1846)
- The Court of Probates was established in 1804 to provide for the judicial supervision of the disposition of the estates left by
deceased property owners in Orleans Parish. The court ceased operation in 1846. The records of this court are available on
microfilm.
The published index to the Court of Probates has been transcribed and is available online at
neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/probates/probias.htm.
The wills and successions from the Court of Probates have been digitized and are available at familysearch.org.
Also available is an index to suits brought by or against executors, administrators, tutors, curators or heirs of estates, which
were also filed in the Court of Probates: neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/probates/probate.htm.
- City Court (1807-1813)
- The City Court for the parish of the city of New Orleans was established by act of the Louisiana Legislature on March 31, 1807
with the same jurisdiction as had been given to the previous County Court for New Orleans. In addition to criminal matters and
civil causes for amounts under $100, the Court also heard insolvency suits in which debtors petitioned for protection from the
demands of their creditors. The records of this court have not been microfilmed.
An index to the City Court civil suits is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/citycourt/cc.htm.
An index to the City Court Insolvency Docket is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/insolven.htm.
First State System (1813-1846)
- Court of Probates (1804-1846) See above. The Court of Probates continued from the Territorial period.
- Parish Court (1813-1846)
- The Parish Court had civil jurisdiction within Orleans Parish concurrent with that of the District Court of the First Judicial District.
The Parish Court also had the same criminal jurisdiction over slaves as had been enjoyed by the City Court of New Orleans
prior to 1813. Suits having to do with family matters can be found in this court, as well as petitions to emancipate slaves. All
records of this court are available on microfilm.
An index to the suit records of the court (1813-1835) can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/vcp/parish1.htm.
An index to the Parish Court slave emancipation petitions can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/vcp/emancip.htm.
- First Judicial District Court (1813-1846)
- This court (sometimes referred to as the District Court or the First District Court) had geographical jurisdiction over the First
Judicial District of the State, including Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and (beginning in
1825) Jefferson Parishes. The court originally had both civil and criminal original jurisdiction as well as jurisdiction in appeals
from the Parish Courts in its constituent parishes (excepting Orleans, whose appeals went directly to the Louisiana Supreme
Court). In 1818 the Court's criminal jurisdiction was given to a new Criminal Court of the City of New Orleans which, in the
following year, was enlarged to cover the entire district. The genealogically significant records of this court are available on
microfilm.
An index to the suit records of the court (1813-1835) is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/1jdc/1jdcind.htm. Indexing after 1835
is available on microfilm.
An index to the First Judicial District Court Habeas Corpus records (1831-1846) is available at
neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/1jdc/habeas.htm.
- Commercial Court (1839-1846)
- This court had concurrent jurisdiction with the already existing Parish Court and First Judicial District Court, except that the
Commercial Court could hear no case involving ownership or possession of land, ownership of slaves, domestic relations, tort
suits, or eminent domain expropriations. Parties were allowed to transfer actions pending in the existing courts to Commercial
Court as a way of relieving the burden on the existing courts created by the large number and technical complexity of
commercial disputes arising in the city. The records of this court have not been microfilmed.
Second State System (1846-1880)
During this period, New Orleans had a system of numbered district courts (be aware, however, that these were
not geographical districts – each of the courts had jurisdiction over the entire parish of Orleans). Prior to 1853,
the courts handled all types of civil matters; after 1853, each court handled suits of a specific type, as
described below.
- First District Court (1846-1880)
- Criminal jurisdiction. The records of this court are filmed in their entirety prior to 1853. After 1853, when the court assumed
exclusive criminal jurisdiction, the records are not microfilmed. The docket books for this court are available on microfilm, as are
the few extant index volumes.
- Second District Court (1846-1880)
- Jurisdiction over probate matters. Cases pending in the Court of Probates were transferred to this court in 1846. The cases
are available on microfilm.
An index to the successions filed in Second District Court can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/2dc/2dcsuccession.htm"
The wills, successions, and the docket books and indexes to the docket books from the Second District Court have been digitized and are available at familysearch.org.
(The successions are not yet complete online.)
- Third District Court (1846-1880)
- Jurisdiction over family matters. Cases pending in the Parish Court were transferred to this court in 1846. The “genealogically
significant” records of this court, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
- Fourth District Court (1846-1880)
- General civil jurisdiction. Cases pending in Commercial Court were transferred to this court in 1846. The “genealogically
significant” records of this court, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
- Fifth District Court (1846-1880)
- General civil jurisdiction. Cases pending in First Judicial District Court were transferred to this court in 1846. The
“genealogically significant” suits, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
- Sixth District Court (1853-1880)
- This court was created to handle cases pending in the City of Lafayette, when it was annexed to Orleans Parish. After several
years, the court assumed more general jurisdiction. The “genealogically significant” suits, with indexes, are available on
microfilm.
- Seventh District Court (1868-1872)
- This specific jurisdiction of this court is unclear. Some cases from Third District Court are often included in the court’s records.
The “genealogically significant” suits, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
- Eighth District Court (1870-1872)
- This court was created during Reconstruction and may have been created to handle disputed election cases. The
“genealogically significant” suits, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
- Superior District Court (1872-1877)
- This court contains a great many tax-related cases. In many cases, no suit record was generated, but only a page in a tax
judgment book; the judgment book contains no details, since the cases were cut-and-dried proceedings in which the City or
State sued someone for non-payment of taxes. Any “genealogically significant” suits, with indexes, are available on microfilm.
Third (and current) State System (1880-present)
In 1880, all of the separate civil courts were replaced by a single Civil District Court. The new court kept
separate dockets onto which cases were entered according to classes.
Civil District Court (1880-present)
- Cases of “genealogical significance” have been microfilmed, along with the index to the general docket of the court and the
court’s judicial record books.
- Docket 1
- This docket handled probate matters. These records, with separate indexes and docket books, are available on microfilm.
- Docket 2 – 4
- These dockets handled general suits. For the most part, these records have not been microfilmed.
- Dockets 5
- This docket handled divorce matters. These records, with separate indexes and docket books are available on microfilm.
Criminal Courts
The City Archives holds the original records of the Orleans Parish criminal courts from 1830-1932. Even
though information on ancestors might certainly be found among these records, the Genealogical Society of
Utah did not consider them to be “genealogical,” and, therefore, did not microfilm them. Indexing to the
criminal courts is not always available.
An inventory of the criminal court records in the City Archives is available at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/crdcinv.htm and finding
aids for some courts can be found at neworleanspubliclibrary.org/inv/courts.htm.
The Defendants Index, 1880-1918 to cases filed in the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court is also available online.
Back to Orleans Parish Civil & Criminal Courts: Finding Aids & Inventories
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 Updated 4/27/2013
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