On this page
- Which court will hear my case in Orleans Parish?
- Barry has worked inside Orleans criminal court from three sides
- What happens after an arrest in New Orleans, step by step
- How can I help a loved one held at the Orleans Justice Center?
- Municipal and Traffic Court is back on Broad Street
- Charges we defend in Orleans Parish
- New Orleans neighborhoods we serve, and how close we are
Which court will hear my case in Orleans Parish?
Most serious cases in New Orleans are heard at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, 2700 Tulane Avenue. Orleans is different from the rest of Louisiana because it has its own criminal district court instead of a numbered judicial district court that also hears civil cases. Locals often call it "Tulane and Broad" after the corner where it sits.
Not every case goes there. The court on your paperwork depends on who wrote the charge and what kind of charge it is:
| Court | Address | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish Criminal District Court | 2700 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119 | Felonies and state-charged misdemeanors |
| New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court | 727 S. Broad St., New Orleans, LA 70119 | City ordinance violations and traffic violations |
| Orleans Parish Juvenile Court | 1100-B Milton St., New Orleans, LA 70122 | Delinquency cases for children under 17 |
The same arrest can sometimes be charged under state law or under a city ordinance, which changes the court. If you are not sure which one you are in, send us a photo of your bond paper or summons and we will tell you.
Barry has worked inside Orleans criminal court from three sides
Barry S. Ranshi knows Orleans Parish criminal court because he has worked in it as a court staff attorney, a prosecutor and a defense lawyer. That history helps him see a case the way the judge and the State will see it.
- Court staff attorney. He worked for Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Darryl A. Derbigny, reviewing criminal pleadings and drafting jury instructions and rulings. He helped the court reverse a wrongful second degree murder conviction, a ruling the Louisiana Supreme Court affirmed.
- Expungement procedure. Working with others at the court, he took part in rewriting Orleans Criminal Court's expungement procedure.
- Assistant District Attorney. At the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office he served as first and second chair trial prosecutor on felony cases in juvenile court.
- Student practitioner. Even in law school at Loyola, he helped represent people in Orleans Parish who could not afford a lawyer, including helping win the release of a man wrongly charged with first degree murder.
Read more about Barry's background. If you have a case at Tulane and Broad, call (504) 905-8399 for a free, confidential consultation.
What happens after an arrest in New Orleans, step by step
After an arrest in New Orleans, the person is usually booked into the Orleans Justice Center at 2800 Perdido Street, run by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. From there, Louisiana law sets out a schedule the State has to follow.
- Booking. The person is photographed, fingerprinted and held at the Orleans Justice Center while the paperwork is processed.
- Probable cause review. If the arrest happened without a warrant, a judge should decide within 48 hours whether there was probable cause to hold the person.
- First appearance. The person must be brought before a judge within 72 hours of arrest, not counting weekends and legal holidays. The judge explains the rights, appoints a lawyer if the person qualifies, and can set or review bail.
- Bail. In setting bail, judges look at the charge, criminal history, flight risk and danger to the community. A lawyer can ask for a lower amount at a bail hearing.
- The DA decides on charges. The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office at 1340 Poydras St. reviews the arrest. If the person stays in jail, the State generally has 60 days to formally charge a felony and 30 days for a misdemeanor.
- Arraignment. Once charges are filed, arraignment should happen within 30 days. This is where the plea of not guilty is usually entered and the real defense work picks up speed.
Our guide to what to do after an arrest in Louisiana walks through each stage in more detail.
How can I help a loved one held at the Orleans Justice Center?
The most useful thing you can do is get a defense lawyer involved before the first appearance, because that is often the first chance to argue about bail. Here is what helps us move fast:
- Their full legal name and date of birth, so we can find them in the system.
- What they were told they were arrested for, and which agency made the arrest (NOPD, State Police or another agency).
- Any paperwork, bond amount or court date you have seen.
- Facts a judge cares about at a bail hearing: job, family, how long they have lived in New Orleans.
Remind your loved one not to talk about the facts of the case on jail phones or video visits, since those calls may be recorded. Do not post about the arrest on social media. We answer (504) 905-8399 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights and holidays. See our page on bail and bond hearings for more on getting someone home.
Municipal and Traffic Court is back on Broad Street
If you have a city ordinance or traffic case in New Orleans, your court is the New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court at 727 S. Broad St. The court moved back into that building on January 5, 2026.
A little history explains the confusion many people have. The old Municipal Court and the old Traffic Court were merged under Act 845 of 2014, and the combined court started on January 1, 2017. After Hurricane Ida, it worked out of a temporary site at 1601 Perdido St. Older tickets, websites and even some state pages still list outdated addresses, so always check the location printed on your most recent notice.
Missing a traffic court date can cause more trouble than the ticket itself. Louisiana law lets the court report a failure to appear to the state, which can put your license at risk and add a $100 fee to clear it. Learn more on our New Orleans traffic ticket lawyer page.
Charges we defend in Orleans Parish
Barry focuses only on criminal defense, and he handles both felonies and misdemeanors in New Orleans. Common cases include:
- DWI arrests in New Orleans, including the 30-day deadline to request an OMV hearing to fight the license suspension
- Drug possession and distribution charges
- Assault and violent crimes and gun and weapons charges
- Domestic violence and battery
- Theft and shoplifting
- Juvenile cases in Orleans Parish Juvenile Court. Since April 2024, 17-year-olds in Louisiana are prosecuted as adults, so a 17-year-old's case goes to Tulane and Broad, not juvenile court.
- Expungements of old Orleans Parish arrests and convictions
Some cases from New Orleans are charged in federal court instead. Orleans Parish is part of the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Barry is admitted to practice there. See our federal criminal defense page.
New Orleans neighborhoods we serve, and how close we are
We defend people arrested anywhere in Orleans Parish, from the French Quarter and Mid-City to Uptown, Gentilly, New Orleans East and Algiers on the West Bank. Our office in Kenner is about 20 to 25 minutes (roughly 13 miles) from the criminal courthouse on Tulane Avenue.
You do not have to come to Kenner to get started. We offer in-person and remote consultations, and the first consultation is free and confidential. For more on defending city cases, see our New Orleans criminal defense lawyer page, or call (504) 905-8399 now.