Frequently Asked Questions
General Court Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
Jury Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
General Court Services Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
Election Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
Q. What are the court hours of operation?
For court hours of operation, please click here.
Q. Where can I park at court?
For parking information, please click here.
Q. What will the court do in case of an emergency, such as a hurricane evacuation?
In case of an emergency, such as a hurricane evacuation, Criminal District Court will follow emergency procedures. For emergency procedure information, please click here.
Q. Where can I get driving directions?
To obtain driving directions to the Court, please click here.
Q. What time do I need to report in?
Jurors need to report to the Court by 8:30 AM on the day on the jury schedule provided. Jurors should call the day before service, after 5 pm, to confirm reporting at 504.658.9200.
Q. Where can I park? Is parking provided?
Lot #1 is located at “Standard Parking” on the corner of S. Broad Street and Gravier Street by the Old Falstaff Brewery.
Lot #2 is located on the corner of Gravier Street and S. White Street by the District Attorney’s Office. This parking lot is for employees and jurors meeting in the District Attorney's Office.
To view a map for parking, please click here.
Q. How do I become eligible for jury duty?
The law (C.Cr.P. Article 401) states that a person qualified to serve as a juror must:
(1) Be a citizen of the United States and of this state who has resided within the parish in which he is to serve as a juror for at least one year immediately preceding his jury service.
(2) Be at least eighteen years of age.
(3) Be able to read, write, and speak the English language and be possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language.
(4) Not be under interdiction or incapable of serving as a juror because of a mental or physical infirmity, provided that no person shall be deemed incompetent solely because of the loss of hearing in any degree.
(5) Not be under indictment, incarcerated under an order of imprisonment, or on probation or parole for a felony offense within the five-year period immediately preceding the person's jury service.
Q. What do I do when I receive a summons for jury duty?
You have the following two (2) options:
1. You may complete the jury summons and report, with the completed summons, to the jury office on the date assigned on your jury summons; or
2. You may complete the jury summons online as indicated on the juror summons. If you choose this option, and you do not need to report to the jury office on the assigned reporting date. Note: This option does not apply to those individuals summoned for Grand Jury service.
Q. Can I be excused from jury duty?
Q. If I am selected to sit on a jury, how long will it take?
Once you are chosen to serve on a jury, you are under the jurisdiction of the section of Court presiding over the case. The length of jury service depends on a number of factors, including the type of case, the number of defendants involved in the case, and the number of witnesses who testify in the case.
Q. Will I be required to continue to report for jury duty even if I am selected to sit on a jury?
Even if you have already served on a jury during your jury duty service, you are required to continue to report for jury duty, until you have completed all days of your service as scheduled.
Q. Could I be sequestered while serving on a jury?
Jurors may be sequestered while serving on a jury for a First-Degree Murder trial or high-profile trials where sequestration is deemed necessary. These types of cases are rare, but sometimes they do occur.
Q. Will I be compensated for jury service?
Jurors are compensated $10.00 per day only if the juror is selected to serve on a jury trial.
Q. How soon after serving do I become eligible for jury duty again?
Citizens are eligible for jury service two (2) years after completion of the preceding jury service.
Q. I need to get drug tested. What do I need to do?
For all information regarding drug testing, such as hour of operation, and test cost, please click here.
Q. Where can I find information pertaining to elections?
For all information regarding elections, including upcoming election dates, poll commissioner information, and the Elections Division of the Clerk of Court, please click here.
- What are the court hours of operation?
- Where can I park at the court?
- What will the court do in case of an emergency, such as a hurricane evacuation?
- Where can I get driving directions?
Jury Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
- What time do I need to report in?
- Where can I park; Is parking provided?
- How do I become eligible for jury duty?
- What do I do when I receive a summons for jury duty?
- Can I be excused from jury duty?
- If I am picked to sit on a jury, how long will it take?
- Will I be required to continue to report for jury duty even if I am selected to sit on a jury?
- Could I be sequestered while serving on a jury?
- Will I be compensated for jury service?
- How soon after serving do I become eligible for jury duty again?
General Court Services Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
- I need to get drug tested. What do I need to do?
Election Questions (Scroll Down for Answers)
- Where can I find information pertaining to elections?
Q. What are the court hours of operation?
For court hours of operation, please click here.
Q. Where can I park at court?
For parking information, please click here.
Q. What will the court do in case of an emergency, such as a hurricane evacuation?
In case of an emergency, such as a hurricane evacuation, Criminal District Court will follow emergency procedures. For emergency procedure information, please click here.
Q. Where can I get driving directions?
To obtain driving directions to the Court, please click here.
Q. What time do I need to report in?
Jurors need to report to the Court by 8:30 AM on the day on the jury schedule provided. Jurors should call the day before service, after 5 pm, to confirm reporting at 504.658.9200.
Q. Where can I park? Is parking provided?
Lot #1 is located at “Standard Parking” on the corner of S. Broad Street and Gravier Street by the Old Falstaff Brewery.
Lot #2 is located on the corner of Gravier Street and S. White Street by the District Attorney’s Office. This parking lot is for employees and jurors meeting in the District Attorney's Office.
To view a map for parking, please click here.
Q. How do I become eligible for jury duty?
The law (C.Cr.P. Article 401) states that a person qualified to serve as a juror must:
(1) Be a citizen of the United States and of this state who has resided within the parish in which he is to serve as a juror for at least one year immediately preceding his jury service.
(2) Be at least eighteen years of age.
(3) Be able to read, write, and speak the English language and be possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language.
(4) Not be under interdiction or incapable of serving as a juror because of a mental or physical infirmity, provided that no person shall be deemed incompetent solely because of the loss of hearing in any degree.
(5) Not be under indictment, incarcerated under an order of imprisonment, or on probation or parole for a felony offense within the five-year period immediately preceding the person's jury service.
Q. What do I do when I receive a summons for jury duty?
You have the following two (2) options:
1. You may complete the jury summons and report, with the completed summons, to the jury office on the date assigned on your jury summons; or
2. You may complete the jury summons online as indicated on the juror summons. If you choose this option, and you do not need to report to the jury office on the assigned reporting date. Note: This option does not apply to those individuals summoned for Grand Jury service.
Q. Can I be excused from jury duty?
- Persons 70 years of age or older may request to be excused.
- Individuals under interdiction or incapable of serving as a juror because of a mental or physical infirmity may also request to be excused with a medical note from an attending physician.
- Non-residents of Orleans Parish provided with proof of residency outside of Orleans Parish (driver's license, utility bill and/or lease).
Q. If I am selected to sit on a jury, how long will it take?
Once you are chosen to serve on a jury, you are under the jurisdiction of the section of Court presiding over the case. The length of jury service depends on a number of factors, including the type of case, the number of defendants involved in the case, and the number of witnesses who testify in the case.
Q. Will I be required to continue to report for jury duty even if I am selected to sit on a jury?
Even if you have already served on a jury during your jury duty service, you are required to continue to report for jury duty, until you have completed all days of your service as scheduled.
Q. Could I be sequestered while serving on a jury?
Jurors may be sequestered while serving on a jury for a First-Degree Murder trial or high-profile trials where sequestration is deemed necessary. These types of cases are rare, but sometimes they do occur.
Q. Will I be compensated for jury service?
Jurors are compensated $10.00 per day only if the juror is selected to serve on a jury trial.
Q. How soon after serving do I become eligible for jury duty again?
Citizens are eligible for jury service two (2) years after completion of the preceding jury service.
Q. I need to get drug tested. What do I need to do?
For all information regarding drug testing, such as hour of operation, and test cost, please click here.
Q. Where can I find information pertaining to elections?
For all information regarding elections, including upcoming election dates, poll commissioner information, and the Elections Division of the Clerk of Court, please click here.