Areas We Serve: Criminal Defense Across Southeast Louisiana

Where is the Barry S. Ranshi Law Firm located?

Our office is at 4224 Florida Ave., Suite 6, Kenner, LA 70065, in Jefferson Parish. From there, we defend people charged with crimes across Greater New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana.

Barry S. Ranshi grew up in New Orleans and focuses only on criminal defense. He has worked as a staff attorney to an Orleans Parish criminal court judge, as an Orleans Parish prosecutor, and as a defense attorney in the 17th Judicial District Court Public Defender's Office. That experience across different courts is the reason this page exists: every parish does things a little differently.

Visit our Kenner criminal defense law office page for directions, or call (504) 905-8399 for a free, confidential consultation. We offer in-person and remote consultations.

Find your parish and city

Pick the parish where you were arrested or charged. Each parish page explains the local courts, the jail, the DA's office and what happens after an arrest there. City pages go deeper on local courts and neighborhoods.

Greater New Orleans

• Orleans Parish: New Orleans (see also DWI, drug charges and traffic tickets)
• Jefferson Parish: Kenner (our office), Metairie, Harahan, River Ridge, Gretna, Harvey, Marrero and Westwego
• St. Bernard Parish: Chalmette
• Plaquemines Parish: Belle Chasse

Jefferson Parish practice pages: Kenner DWI, Kenner drug charges, Kenner traffic tickets, Metairie DWI, Metairie drug charges, Metairie traffic tickets, Gretna DWI and Gretna drug charges.

Northshore

• St. Tammany Parish: Slidell, Mandeville and Covington (see also Slidell DWI, Slidell drug charges, Covington DWI and Covington drug charges)
• Tangipahoa Parish: Hammond and Ponchatoula (see also Hammond DWI and Hammond drug charges)

River Parishes

• St. Charles Parish: Luling and Destrehan
• St. John the Baptist Parish: LaPlace

Bayou Region

• Lafourche Parish: Thibodaux
• Terrebonne Parish: Houma (see also Houma DWI and Houma drug charges)

St. John the Baptist and Plaquemines are not among the eight parishes Barry lists as his core practice, but we also help clients with cases there. Call and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.

Felony courts at a glance

Every parish has its own district court for felonies, and it is often not in the biggest town. Here is where felony cases are heard, and roughly how far each court is from our Kenner office:

Drive times are rough estimates and change with traffic, weather and the time of day.

What changes from parish to parish?

Louisiana's criminal laws are the same statewide, but the courts, jails and offices that apply them change at every parish line. Here is what can be different:

• The district court. Each parish belongs to a numbered judicial district, and a few districts cover more than one parish. The 22nd JDC serves St. Tammany and Washington parishes, and the 21st JDC serves Tangipahoa, Livingston and St. Helena. Orleans is the exception, with its own criminal district court.
• Lower courts for misdemeanors and tickets. Jefferson Parish sends most misdemeanors to First Parish Court (East Bank) or Second Parish Court (West Bank). New Orleans has a Municipal and Traffic Court. Slidell-area cases may go to the City Court of East St. Tammany. Kenner, Harahan, Mandeville and Ponchatoula run mayor's courts. In other parishes, such as St. Bernard and St. Charles, the district court handles misdemeanors too.
• The District Attorney's office. Each judicial district has its own elected DA and its own policies about charging, diversion and plea offers.
• The jail. Each sheriff runs the parish jail, from the Orleans Justice Center on Perdido Street to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. Visiting, phone and bonding procedures vary.
• Where court actually meets. Storms have moved courts around. St. John Parish cases are heard in Edgard because the LaPlace courthouse has been closed since Hurricane Ida. New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court only returned to 727 S. Broad St. in January 2026. The St. Charles courthouse in Hahnville has been under renovation.

Why a lawyer who knows the local courts matters

A lawyer who knows the local courthouse can spend your time and money on your defense instead of on figuring out the building. Knowing which court has your case, which DA's office is screening it and which deadlines apply lets us act in the first critical days.

• Faster action on bail. Every parish must bring a jailed person before a judge within 72 hours, not counting weekends and holidays. Being ready for that hearing can make a difference in whether someone goes home.
• No missed dates. When courts move, people miss court and end up with warrants. We confirm locations for our clients.
• Realistic advice. Barry has seen cases from the judge's chambers, the prosecutor's table and the defense table. He uses that to give you honest advice about your options, not promises.

Want help choosing? Read how to choose a criminal defense lawyer in New Orleans.

Federal cases anywhere in the region

Some cases are charged in federal court instead of a parish court. All ten parishes on this page are in the Eastern District of Louisiana, whose courthouse is in New Orleans. Barry is admitted to practice in the Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana and the Southern District of Texas.

See our federal criminal defense page to learn how federal cases differ.

Arrested somewhere else in Louisiana?

If your case is in a parish not listed here, call anyway. We will tell you whether we can help or point you in the right direction.

We answer (504) 905-8399 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays. Your first consultation is free and confidential, and you are under no obligation to hire us. You can also reach us through our contact page.