Clear Plaquemines Parish Bench Warrants

How Bench Warrants Work in Plaquemines Parish

A bench warrant is the judge's own order, not a new charge. It follows a missed court date or an unmet court order. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure article 333 tells the court to issue a warrant once a noticed defendant fails to appear, and the clerk then notifies the district attorney, the defendant or personal surety, and the commercial surety or bail agent. In Plaquemines Parish, that order may come from the 25th Judicial District Court, a ward justice of the peace, or a traffic citation. Louisiana papers sometimes call this writ a capias. Read the document closely, because a ward court warrant will not be recalled by the district clerk. Note: Keep the notice, the envelope, and any address update filed with the court before the missed date.

Plaquemines Bench Warrant Divisions A and B

The Plaquemines Parish district court runs two divisions, and the one on the caption decides who you call. Division A is Judge Kevin D. Conner, who also handles adult drug court. Division B is Judge Michael D. Clement, who handles juvenile court. The assignment on the case file matters more than the date you call.

The official court site carries the division pages and the courthouse rules.

Start with the Plaquemines Parish division named on the case, then the clerk if the caption is unclear.

Bench Warrant Issuance in Plaquemines Parish

Issuance follows a paper trail. In Plaquemines Parish, the court records the missed setting, the clerk mails notice to the parties listed in the statute, and the warrant enters the file.

1. A court date is set and notice goes out to the defendant.
2. The defendant does not appear, and the minute entry records it.
3. The court issues a warrant under article 333.
4. The clerk notifies the district attorney and the surety parties.
5. The warrant stays open until it is executed or recalled.

Ask the Plaquemines Parish division clerk to read the current status line. An old docket printout will not carry it.

Why Paying a Fine May Not Recall It

Money and status are separate things in Plaquemines Parish. A payment can satisfy a fine, ticket, or bond, but the warrant belongs to the court that signed it. Pay a counter that does not hold the case, or an online vendor that only collects money, and the warrant sits right where it was.

Keep the receipt, the case number, and any court confirmation. They answer the next question: whether the Plaquemines Parish warrant was recorded as recalled. Note: The office that takes a payment is not always the office that controls the warrant.

How Bench and Arrest Warrants Differ

Both documents authorize custody, but they start in different places. An arrest warrant opens a case and follows article 203, including a command to arrest and book. A bench warrant enforces a case that already exists in a Plaquemines Parish court.

Plaquemines Parish officers do not always arrest. Under article 211.1, a summons can replace an arrest for a misdemeanor or traffic failure to appear. DWI, weapons, and violence charges stay excluded.

Plaquemines Parish Justice of the Peace Warrants

Plaquemines Parish ward courts handle their own small matters, and their bench warrants stay with them. The parish publishes a directory of justices of the peace and constables with a phone number for each ward. The listing covers Wards 1 through 3 and 5 through 10, so ask about Ward 4.

Constables serve process for these courts, so the ward number decides who knocks.

Clearing a Bench Warrant in Plaquemines Parish

Clearing happens at the court, usually through a filing, a date, or both. Confirm the warrant is still open, then ask what the court requires. The clerk's forms page warns that its forms are convenience resources and that the clerk cannot give legal advice, and it publishes no Plaquemines-specific motion to recall or quash.

1. Confirm the issuing court, division or ward, and case number.
2. Ask the clerk what the court requires for a recall, a reset, or an appearance.
3. Talk with an attorney about a motion and about bond.
4. Get the outcome in writing and keep a copy of it.

Louisiana Act 114 of 2026 took effect on August 1, 2026. It keeps an arrest warrant in force until executed or recalled. A magistrate's recall carries written notice to the district attorney and law enforcement. That is a statutory path, not a public amnesty event. The Sheriff's Office posts a public legal division page for the office that handles court process on its side.

Serving papers is a sheriff function, while ending the warrant is a court decision.

No Plaquemines Parish Warrant Amnesty Program

Plaquemines Parish runs no warrant amnesty, warrant roundup, self-surrender weekend, or fee waiver. The sheriff, court, clerk, district attorney, and parish pages publish none. Do not wait for a seasonal event that may never come. If one is announced later, read the terms closely. Ask which warrants qualify, which offenses are excluded, what proof is required, and whether arrest risk ends with the event. Note: A statutory recall change is not the same as a public clearance event, and the two should never be described interchangeably.

Plaquemines Parish Courts That Issue Bench Warrants

Plaquemines Parish sends its felony and misdemeanor cases, traffic matters, juvenile and family cases, drug court, and probate work to the 25th Judicial District Court. Its two divisions sit at 18055 Highway 15 in Pointe-a-la-Hache, and the clerk runs an annex at 301 Main Street, Suite 108, in Belle Chasse. A bench warrant from that court means business with the clerk at 504-934-6610. Ward justices of the peace handle their own limited matters too. Each ward has a constable who serves the paperwork. So check the face of the document first. A ward named there points you to that justice of the peace, while a division named there points you to the clerk.

Plaquemines Parish Courthouse Visits for Bench Warrants

Plan ahead before driving out. Plaquemines Parish stretches roughly eighty miles to the river mouth, so one wrong turn costs real time. The court posts its address and contact details, and that page shows where to go and who to call. Security controls the entrance. Weapons, contraband, and unauthorized electronics are prohibited at the checkpoint, and bags may be x-rayed. Attorneys and self-represented litigants get an electronic-device exception, though it is worth confirming before a visit.

Call the division first. In Plaquemines Parish, a filing window and a court date are two different appointments.

• The case or citation number and the division or ward
• The date of the missed setting and any notice you received
• Photo identification, if the office asks for it
• Any receipt, motion, or written confirmation you already hold

Bench Warrant Terms in Plain Words

Bench warrant paperwork in Plaquemines Parish uses a small vocabulary worth knowing before you pick up the phone. Each term describes a status, never a final outcome. The issuing court confirms which one applies.

FTA

Failure to appear, the missed setting behind most bench warrants.

Capias

A Louisiana word for a court writ that directs an arrest.

Recall

The court withdraws the warrant, with notice to the prosecutor and law enforcement.

Executed

The warrant was carried out, which says nothing yet about the case outcome.

Surety

A party responsible under a bail arrangement who also receives notice after an FTA.

Warrant return

The official record of whether and how the warrant was carried out.