On this page
- Where will my Plaquemines Parish case be heard?
- Who are the key offices in a Plaquemines Parish case?
- What happens after an arrest in Belle Chasse or down the river
- Does your firm take Plaquemines Parish cases?
- Helping a family member held in Braithwaite
- On probation in Plaquemines Parish and missed a step?
- Charges we can help with in Plaquemines Parish
Where will my Plaquemines Parish case be heard?
Your case will be heard by the 25th Judicial District Court, the district court for Plaquemines Parish. The parish seat is Pointe à la Hache, far down the river on the east bank.
The courthouse has a complicated history. The old courthouse in Pointe à la Hache burned in 2002, and parish operations ran out of Belle Chasse for years. A new courthouse was later built in Pointe à la Hache, but online listings still do not agree on where every type of proceeding takes place today. Some state pages still show older Belle Chasse addresses.
The bottom line: do not guess. Go by the exact location printed on your most recent notice, and if anything is unclear, have a lawyer confirm it with the court before you make the drive.
Showing up at the wrong building is more than an inconvenience. If you are not in the right courtroom when your case is called, the judge may treat it as a failure to appear, which can lead to a warrant. That is one more reason to have someone checking the details for you.
Who are the key offices in a Plaquemines Parish case?
Three offices shape almost every criminal case in the parish:
- Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. Most of the parish is unincorporated, so the Sheriff's Office is the main police agency in places like Belle Chasse, Port Sulphur and Buras.
- Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, 110 Prison Road, Braithwaite, LA 70040. This is the parish jail.
- 25th Judicial District Attorney's Office, 333 F. Edward Hebert Blvd., Building 201, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. Prosecutors here decide what charges to file.
Notice the geography. The jail is in Braithwaite on the east bank, the DA is in Belle Chasse on the west bank, and the parish seat is far to the south. Plan for travel time on every step.
What happens after an arrest in Belle Chasse or down the river
After an arrest in Plaquemines Parish, the person is usually taken to the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center in Braithwaite. From there, Louisiana law sets the pace:
- Booking at the detention center.
- Probable cause review by a judge within 48 hours if the arrest was made without a warrant.
- First appearance within 72 hours of arrest, not counting weekends and legal holidays. The judge explains rights and sets or reviews bail.
- Charging. If the person remains jailed, the DA generally has 60 days to file a felony charge and 30 days for a misdemeanor, or the person must be released or the bail obligation discharged unless just cause is shown.
- Arraignment within 30 days after charges are filed.
Read more about how bail works in Louisiana.
Does your firm take Plaquemines Parish cases?
Plaquemines is not one of the eight parishes Barry lists as his core practice area, but we also help clients with cases in Plaquemines Parish. Belle Chasse is about 30 to 35 minutes (roughly 22 miles) from our Kenner office. Reaching Pointe à la Hache is a much longer trip, about 70 to 80 minutes (roughly 55 miles).
Because of that distance, we will talk with you honestly about where your case is set, how often you will need to be in court and whether we are the right fit. That first conversation is free and confidential, and you are under no obligation to hire us.
Call (504) 905-8399, day or night. We offer in-person consultations in Kenner and remote consultations by phone or video.
Helping a family member held in Braithwaite
If someone you love is in the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, the most useful first step is getting a lawyer involved before the first appearance. Bail is often decided there.
- Get their full name, date of birth and the charge they were told about.
- Gather proof of a steady job, family duties and how long they have lived in the parish. Judges weigh ties to the community when setting bail.
- If it is a DWI, keep the paper receipt the officer gave in place of the license. It serves as a temporary license for up to 30 days, and the OMV hearing must be requested within 30 days.
- Ask them not to talk about the case on jail phones.
We answer (504) 905-8399 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
On probation in Plaquemines Parish and missed a step?
A missed meeting or late payment on probation does not automatically mean going back to jail for the whole sentence. Louisiana changed the rules for technical violations, meaning violations that are not new crimes, for offenses committed on or after August 1, 2024.
- For people not on probation for a crime of violence or a sex offense, jail on a first technical revocation is capped at 15 days.
- The cap is 30 days for a second technical violation and 45 days for a third or more, or up to 90 days of custodial substance abuse treatment.
- After that, the person goes back on probation for the rest of the term.
A new arrest while on probation is a different matter. It can lead to full revocation and the original suspended sentence. Revocation hearings are decided by a judge, with no jury, and the State's burden is lower than at trial.
Learn more on our probation violations page.
Charges we can help with in Plaquemines Parish
Barry S. Ranshi focuses only on criminal defense, and we can help with many kinds of charges in Plaquemines Parish:
- DWI and DUI, including on-water impaired operation, since Louisiana's impaired operation law also covers boats and other vessels
- Drug charges
- Weapons charges
- Domestic violence and assault
- Probation violations and warrants
- Expungements
Communities in the parish include Belle Chasse, Braithwaite, Port Sulphur, Buras, Venice and Pointe à la Hache. For more on the upper part of the parish, see our Belle Chasse criminal defense lawyer page. Plaquemines is in the Eastern District of Louisiana for federal cases, where Barry is admitted to practice.