Orleans Parish Second Judicial District Court records
Scope and Contents
The court heard criminal cases from docket numbers 1 to 555. Docket numbers 3-499 are extant; of those, approximately 16% are missing. (It is possible that a few of these records may be filed with the civil suit series of this court). The cases are limited to those filed in the 6th and 7th Municipal Districts and do not include cases heard in Jefferson, St. Bernard, or Plaquemines Parishes.
The most common charges were:
- Assault or assault and battery -- 149
- Burglary and/or larceny, petty larceny, robbery, or highway robbery -- 98
- Assault with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to kill, assault and wounding, shooting or stabbing with intent to kill, etc. -- 59
- Carrying a concealed weapon -- 38
- Perjury -- 15
- Embezzlement -- 12
The Second Judicial District Court records in the Louisiana Division's collections also include the civil cases heard by the court (docket numbers 1-2141), the general docket of the civil series (2 vols.), and a deed book (1 vol.). The civil suits are not indexed.
Dates
- Creation: 1876-1880
Conditions Governing Access
These materials have been partially microfilmed. Available to registered researchers by appointment. Please request unfilmed materials by docket number.
Requesting Materials
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction or use of materials is prohibited without the permission of the City Archives & Special Collections. Please review the Archives' Permission to Publish note.
Biographical / Historical
On March 18, 1876, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 45, extending the jurisdiction of the Second Judicial District Court (previously limited to the parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Jefferson) to include the 6th and 7th Municipal Districts of Orleans Parish, that is, the cities of Jefferson City and Carrollton annexed to the City of New Orleans in 1870 and 1874 respectively. In Orleans Parish, the court was to convene on the third Monday in April and the first Monday in December. It held its sessions at "present courthouse in the Seventh District" (i.e., the old Carrollton Courthouse at 719 Carrollton Ave.).
The Second Judicial District Court had civil jurisdiction in all cases, except matters of probate, when over $100 was involved. It also had exclusive jurisdiction in criminal cases. In 1880 Orleans Parish Criminal Court assumed jurisdiction over criminal cases. At the same time, Orleans Parish Civil District Court assumed jurisdiction over civil cases.
Extent
3 Cubic Feet
2 Volumes
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The cases are filed in individual folders arranged in docket number order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, 1989
Separated Materials
Separated court records are inventoried with the Stray Court Records Collection.
Topical
- Title
- Second Judicial District Court records
- Author
- bsilva
- Date
- 5/17/2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- Based on finding aid previously created by City Archives staff; reformatted for ArchivesSpace by bsilva in 2023
Repository Details
Part of the City Archives Repository
City Archives & Special Collections
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans LA 70112
504-596-2610
archivist@nolalibrary.org