Ascension Parish, Louisiana Arrest Records

An Ascension Parish arrest record is a document that details all necessary information related to an arrest. These records are created by the arresting agency, typically the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office or local police departments, such as the Gonzales Police Department.

Arrest records are generally deemed public records under the Louisiana Public Records Law and are accessible to the public. However, an individual's broader penal and prison records are confidential per Louisiana Revised Statutes § 574.12. Such records are only accessible to the individual named on the record.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Ascension, Louisiana?

Yes, arrest records are public in Ascension Parish. Under the Louisiana Public Records Law, criminal records, including arrest information, are generally open to the public. The state has no restrictions on who can access a public arrest record in the parish, so anyone, regardless of citizenship, can inspect an arrest record. However, while transparency is the default, several details are usually withheld from public disclosure to protect specific individuals or the general public.

What Do Public Ascension Parish Arrest Records Contain?

Publicly accessible Ascension Parish arrest records generally contain the following information.

• The arrestee's name and aliases.
• The arrestee's address, race, gender, date of birth, height, weight, eye color, hair color, and distinguishing marks.
• The booking date and booking origin (e.g., the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office)
• The arrestee's subject number and mugshot
• The arrest charges
• The arrestee's bond information

Not all arrest records and arrest information in the parish are public due to privacy and safety concerns. These include

• Arrest records tied to an active investigation
• Social security numbers
• Driver's license numbers
• Home addresses
• Phone numbers
• Victim information
• Confidential informants

For details that are withheld, individuals generally need court approval to gain access.

Ascension Parish, Louisiana Arrest Search

Arrest information at the state level is maintained by the Louisiana State Police, specifically the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information. The department maintains arrest records as part of criminal history records, which are comprehensive accounts of an individual's entanglement with the criminal justice system in the state. The record comprises an individual's arrests, convictions, and sentences. 

Under Louisiana Revised Statute § 588, individuals have the right to receive a certified copy of their own criminal history record, but not the record of another. The LSP uses the Louisiana Applicant Processing System (LAPS) for criminal record requests. Individuals may submit their requests and fingerprints via the system and have the record mailed or emailed to them.

Ascension Parish arrest records are also accessible at the federal level through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Criminal records maintained by the FBI are confidential and accessible only to the subject of the record. Individuals can submit a request for their record online, via mail, or via an FBI-approved channeler.

Ascension Parish Inmate Locator

Individuals arrested in Ascension Parish are booked by the Sheriff's Office and detained in the Ascension Parish jail. The Sheriff's Office provides the public with an Inmate Search tool for locating inmates in the jail. A search may be made using the inmate's name, subject number, booking number, or booking date range. Alternatively, researchers may visit the Sheriff's Office to verify if an individual is in jail. 

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office operates out of two administrative locations, helping individuals on separate sides of the parish to access the Sheriff's Office.

Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Headquarters

828 South Irma Boulevard

Gonzales, LA 70737

Phone: (225) 621-8300

Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office – Donaldsonville Location

300 Houmas Street

Donaldsonville, LA 70346

Phone: (225) 473-8671

Active Warrant Search in Ascension Parish

An arrest warrant is a legal order that authorizes law enforcement to take a person into custody and bring them before the court to answer for an alleged criminal act. While law enforcement is responsible for executing arrest warrants in the county, they are not the issuing authorities. Under the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure § 202, warrants are primarily issued by judicial officers, such as a judge or magistrate. 

The issuance of a warrant is typically triggered when there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed or an individual fails to appear in court. Below is the life process of a warrant.

• Application: This is the initiating phase where a law enforcement officer files a complaint with the court detailing the crime committed by an individual and evidence supporting the accusation.
• Review: In this phase, a judicial officer reviews and evaluates the content of the complaint to determine if there are valid grounds (probable cause) for the arrest of the suspect.
• Issuance (or Denial): After the complaint has been reviewed and the judicial officer is satisfied with the evidence presented, the officer will then issue a written warrant commanding the arrest of the suspect. If the evidence presented in the complaint is deemed insufficient, the warrant request will be denied.
• Service: The issued warrant is handed over to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, specifically the Criminal Services Unit, for execution. After execution—that is, after the suspect has been arrested—the warrant is then returned to the issuing court.

Under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure § 203, a valid and executable warrant in the state must satisfy the following:

• Be written in the name of the State of Louisiana.
• Contain the name of the suspect, or a description by which the suspect may be identified if their name is unknown.
• Name the parish where the warrant was issued
• State the date of issuance
• List the grounds for arrest (the alleged offenses)
• Command the arrest of the suspect
• Contain the signature and title of the issuing officer

Warrants in Ascension Parish are maintained by the Sheriff's Office Criminal Services Unit, which comprises a Warrant Division and a Domestic Violence Division. Individuals can primarily verify if a warrant exists by calling the Warrant Division at (225) 621-8308 or asking in person at the Sheriff's Office. A name is generally sufficient for a search. 

A warrant may also be indicated in an individual's court case record. To access a case record in Ascension Parish, individuals may use the Ascension Clerk of Court Electronic Search System (ACCESS).

Agency / Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office	Maintains and serves warrants	Phone or in person	There is no official online portal dedicated to locating warrants

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Ascension Parish

Individuals seeking free arrest records in Ascension Parish may utilize the Sheriff's Office Inmate Search portal. The portal allows the public to access information on persons who have been arrested and kept in the parish jail. The portal can be queried using the inmate's name, subject number, booking number, or booking date range. Users should note that confidential arrest records cannot be accessed on the portal. Such records may only be accessed in person at the Sheriff's Office.

Ascension Parish Arrest Report

Ascension Parish arrest reports are closely related to arrest records, but are fundamentally different, serving distinct purposes. An arrest report is the initial narrative document prepared by the arresting officer, comprising all the details of the arrest. An arrest record is a summary document containing only the key details tied to the arrest. 

Under Louisiana Revised Statute § 44:3, an arrest report is carved out as a mandatory document; however, it is only temporarily available to the public. The report is public immediately upon booking to prevent "secret arrests," but becomes confidential once the case moves beyond the initial arrest phase into active prosecution.

To obtain an arrest report, individuals may submit a public records request in writing to the Sheriff's Office headquarters by mail. The fee for obtaining the report is $1 per page.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Ascension Parish

An expungement in Louisiana refers to the removal of a criminal record, such as an arrest record, from public access. It does not completely erase or destroy the record from existence, as is the practice in some states. Instead, the expunged file is separated and hidden from public view, while still available to law enforcement and the judiciary.

The Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 971 governs expungement in the state. Individuals who were arrested but not convicted, that is, no charges were filed, the charges were dismissed, or the judge found the suspect not guilty at trial, are generally eligible for an immediate expungement of the arrest record. 

If the arrest resulted in a conviction, the waiting period for the offense must be completed before a record becomes eligible for expungement. The wait time for misdemeanor convictions is 5 years, while the wait time for felony convictions is 10 years. However, if the felony sentence was dismissed under Art. 893 of the Code of Criminal Procedure allows individuals to file an expungement petition immediately upon completion.

Individuals should note that sex crimes, domestic abuse battery, violent crimes, and certain major drug trafficking offenses are ineligible for expungement. Eligible individuals may complete and submit the relevant expungement form to the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court.

How Do You Remove Ascension Parish Arrest Records From the Internet?

Arrest records are, by law, public material, meaning they are open to the public and, as a result, may be present on online public databases, including government and private ones. To remove an arrest record from the internet, the first step is to obtain an expungement order from the court. The order forces government agencies to redact the record from online databases, effectively blocking the public's access to the record. 

However, an expungement does not automatically erase the arrest information that was previously obtained by private online companies. To clear the record from these websites, individuals may reach out to them directly, provide the expungement order, and request that the information be taken down.