DeSoto Parish Criminal Records

DeSoto Parish criminal records are maintained by the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court in Mansfield, and DeSoto Parish criminal cases from the 42nd Judicial District Court are the primary source for felony charges, arrest records, convictions, and court dockets filed in DeSoto Parish.

DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court

The DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court holds the official record of all criminal cases heard in DeSoto Parish. Every criminal charge filed in DeSoto Parish, every felony indictment, every misdemeanor case, and every criminal court docket from the 42nd Judicial District Court is maintained by this office. The DeSoto Parish Clerk office is at 101 Texas Street, Mansfield, LA 71052. The main phone is (318) 872-3110. DeSoto Parish Clerk hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. All criminal case filings, court minutes, criminal judgments, and related documents from DeSoto Parish criminal proceedings are kept here.

Louisiana Revised Statute 44:31 gives any person the right to inspect public criminal court records in DeSoto Parish at no cost. You can visit the DeSoto Parish Clerk office in Mansfield and look at criminal case files during business hours without any fee. No reason is required to view DeSoto Parish criminal records. You will want to bring the full name of the person you are researching, their date of birth if possible, and a criminal case number if you have one. The DeSoto Parish Clerk can run a name search for $5.00 per name if you need help locating criminal records.

Copy fees for DeSoto Parish criminal records follow state standard rates. Plain copies of criminal court documents are $1.00 per page. Certified copies of DeSoto Parish criminal records cost $5.00 per document. For mail-in requests for DeSoto Parish criminal records, include a check payable to the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The DeSoto Parish Clerk does not accept credit cards. Call (318) 872-3110 before mailing if you want to confirm the fee for DeSoto Parish criminal record copies before sending payment.

How to Search Criminal Records in DeSoto Parish

The main option for searching DeSoto Parish criminal records is in person at the DeSoto Parish Clerk office at 101 Texas Street in Mansfield. DeSoto Parish does not have its own online criminal case search portal, so the DeSoto Parish Courthouse is the primary access point for local criminal case files. DeSoto Parish criminal records go back many years and include felony charges, misdemeanor cases, arrest records, criminal convictions, and court dockets. If you cannot visit DeSoto Parish in person, a mail request is an option for DeSoto Parish criminal records, though it takes longer to process.

When you arrive at the DeSoto Parish Clerk office, give the clerk the full name and date of birth of the person whose criminal records you are researching. If you have a DeSoto Parish case number, that speeds up the criminal records search considerably. For older DeSoto Parish criminal records, the clerk may need to pull paper case files from storage. Give yourself extra time for those older DeSoto Parish criminal records. The DeSoto Parish Clerk can tell you what criminal records they have on file and help you find the right criminal case once you provide enough identifying information.

For a statewide view of criminal records beyond DeSoto Parish, the Louisiana State Police Internet Background Check system at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov covers arrests and convictions reported from all 64 parishes. The fee is $26.00 per name search. This does not replace a DeSoto Parish local clerk search, but it can give you a broad picture of statewide criminal records quickly. The ClerkConnect multi-parish portal is also worth checking for any DeSoto Parish criminal records that may be available online through that system.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections search at doc.la.gov is shown below.

The DOC offender search is free and covers people currently in state custody or recently released from Louisiana state prisons, including those convicted in DeSoto Parish criminal courts.

Note: Because DeSoto Parish lacks a dedicated online criminal search portal, an in-person or mail request to the DeSoto Parish Clerk office in Mansfield is the most complete way to access local criminal case records.

DeSoto Parish Court System

DeSoto Parish is the sole parish in the 42nd Judicial District. The 42nd JDC handles all felony criminal cases, major criminal charges, and domestic criminal proceedings within DeSoto Parish. The DeSoto Parish Courthouse is at 101 Texas Street in Mansfield. District court judges for the 42nd JDC hear criminal trials, arraignments, bond hearings, and criminal sentencing for DeSoto Parish cases. Every criminal felony case in DeSoto Parish goes through this court, and the criminal docket records stay with the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court.

Appeals from DeSoto Parish criminal cases in the 42nd JDC go to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. The Second Circuit covers northwest Louisiana parishes including DeSoto Parish. Appellate opinions from DeSoto Parish criminal cases may be found through the Second Circuit website or the Louisiana Supreme Court online database. The Second Circuit handles both criminal and civil appeals from the district courts in its jurisdiction, including DeSoto Parish criminal convictions that are challenged on appeal.

Minor criminal matters and local ordinance violations in DeSoto Parish may be handled at the justice of the peace level before reaching the district court. Those criminal records are not held with the district court clerk. If you are looking for a minor offense or a local ordinance violation in DeSoto Parish, ask the DeSoto Parish Clerk whether it was handled at the district court level or by a local court. DeSoto Parish criminal records from lower courts are held separately.

Louisiana State Criminal Records

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) maintains the statewide criminal history database. BCII collects arrest records, booking data, and court criminal disposition information from all 64 Louisiana parishes, including DeSoto Parish. A BCII criminal history report covers the full breadth of someone's Louisiana criminal record, not just what is on file in DeSoto Parish. DeSoto Parish criminal arrests and convictions are reported to BCII, so a statewide criminal search will include DeSoto Parish criminal history. Learn more at the LSP background checks page.

For a name-based criminal records search, the Internet Background Check portal at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov costs $26.00 and returns criminal history results online. This is a practical choice when you need a statewide criminal overview quickly that goes beyond DeSoto Parish alone. For identity-confirmed criminal history results, the fingerprint-based check through LSP BCII is more accurate than a name search. The forms for fingerprint criminal history checks are at lsp.org/services/background-checks/bcii-forms/.

The Louisiana state portal at louisiana.gov links to many state agency services, including criminal justice resources that cover DeSoto Parish.

The state portal at louisiana.gov is a useful starting point for finding links to the DOC, LSP, and other agencies that hold criminal history data including DeSoto Parish criminal records.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections at doc.la.gov operates a free offender search. It covers people in state prison or recently released. For someone who served or is serving a state sentence after a DeSoto Parish criminal conviction, the DOC database is where you look. Local jail records for DeSoto Parish inmates are held by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office, not the DOC.

Expunging Records in DeSoto Parish

Louisiana's expungement statute, RS 44:9, allows certain DeSoto Parish criminal records to be sealed from public view. Qualifying offenses include DeSoto Parish arrests that did not lead to a criminal conviction, misdemeanor criminal convictions after the required waiting period, and some felony criminal convictions from DeSoto Parish courts. Crimes of violence, sex offenses, and certain other criminal categories are excluded by statute. An attorney can review a specific DeSoto Parish criminal record and advise on expungement eligibility before you spend money on fees.

Filing an expungement for a DeSoto Parish criminal record means submitting the petition at the DeSoto Parish Clerk office at 101 Texas Street, Mansfield. The total cost for a standard DeSoto Parish criminal record expungement is $550.00. That breaks down as $300.00 to the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court at filing and $250.00 to the Louisiana State Police, which must be paid by USPS money order. DWI criminal expungements in DeSoto Parish cost $600.00 total, adding a $50.00 payment to the Office of Motor Vehicles. All fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the expungement petition.

After filing the DeSoto Parish criminal expungement petition, the DeSoto Parish Clerk notifies the district attorney and law enforcement agencies. They have a window to file an objection to the expungement. If no one objects, the judge may grant the DeSoto Parish criminal record expungement. If there is an objection, a hearing is set. Most petitioners in DeSoto Parish benefit from having a local attorney who knows the district attorney's office and can anticipate any objections before they arise.

Note: Confirm eligibility before submitting any DeSoto Parish criminal expungement fees since all expungement costs are non-refundable.

Criminal Record Copy Fees in DeSoto Parish

At the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court, copy fees for criminal records are $1.00 per page for plain copies and $5.00 for certified copies of DeSoto Parish criminal court documents. A DeSoto Parish criminal name search runs $5.00 per name. Viewing DeSoto Parish criminal records in person is always free under RS 44:31. Copies of DeSoto Parish court minutes, criminal judgments, or full criminal case files are subject to the per-page fee. Bring cash or a check when you visit the DeSoto Parish Clerk office since credit cards are not accepted for criminal record requests.

For mail requests for DeSoto Parish criminal records, include a check or money order made out to the DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court. Describe the criminal records you need clearly and include a self-addressed stamped return envelope. The DeSoto Parish Clerk will send what they locate along with a final accounting of criminal record copy fees. If your check covers more than the actual cost of the DeSoto Parish criminal records, the clerk will return the difference. Call the DeSoto Parish Clerk office ahead of time to get an estimate on criminal record copy fees and avoid delays in processing your request.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes are near DeSoto Parish. Each has its own clerk of court and separate criminal court records.