Caddo Parish Bench Warrants
Bench warrants in Caddo Parish are managed through the 1st Judicial District Court in Shreveport, one of the busiest court systems in Louisiana. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office operates a Warrants Division that maintains and serves all warrants issued by the court. Caddo Parish stands out because it offers an online searchable warrant database through the sheriff's website, making it easier for residents to check for active bench warrants. With Shreveport as the parish seat, Caddo Parish handles a large volume of bench warrants each year, and the sheriff's office updates its database daily.
Caddo Parish Quick Facts
Caddo Parish Online Warrant Search
Caddo Parish is one of the few parishes in Louisiana that provides a public online warrant search. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office maintains a searchable database of active warrants on its website. You can search by name without creating an account or paying a fee. The database is updated daily. Search results show the suspect's name, photograph, date of birth, warrant number, issuance date, warrant type, and offense description. This is a valuable tool for anyone who needs to check on bench warrant status in Caddo Parish.
The Warrants Division at the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is located at 501 Texas Street, Room 101, in Shreveport. You can reach them at (318) 675-2170. Staff at this office maintain and serve all misdemeanor and felony warrants. If you prefer to check in person, visit during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring a valid photo ID and provide the full legal name of the person you are inquiring about.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office website provides direct access to warrant search tools and department information.
The screenshot above shows the main page of the Caddo Parish Sheriff's website, which serves as the starting point for online warrant searches and other law enforcement resources.
Caddo Parish Bench Warrant Issuance Process
The 1st Judicial District Court handles all criminal cases in Caddo Parish. Judges issue bench warrants when a defendant fails to appear for a scheduled court date. La. C.Cr.P. Art. 349.1 gives judges the authority to sign these warrants immediately. There is no grace period. Miss your hearing, and the warrant is active that same day. It goes straight to the Warrants Division of the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office for enforcement.
Probation violations trigger bench warrants frequently in Caddo Parish. With a large population and a busy probation system, the 1st JDC sees many cases where defendants break the terms of their supervision. Missed meetings, failed drug tests, and travel violations all lead to bench warrants. La. C.Cr.P. Art. 205 makes clear that these warrants do not expire. They remain in the system until the person is arrested or the court recalls the warrant. Bond amounts on probation violation warrants are typically higher than for simple failure-to-appear warrants, as the court views the violation as a greater risk factor.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's public records page provides additional details about warrant procedures and records access.
This page from the Caddo Parish Sheriff's website outlines the public records request process and provides information about active warrants.
Caddo Parish Clerk of Court Records
The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court is located at 501 Texas Street, Room 103, in Shreveport. The clerk's office stores all case records for the 1st JDC. This includes criminal filings, civil cases, bench warrant documentation, and court judgments. Under La. R.S. 44:1, these records are considered public documents. La. R.S. 44:31 guarantees any adult the right to inspect them. You can visit during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
For criminal matters, you can email Dianne.Doughty@caddoclerk.com. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse for searching records on site. Copy fees are $1 per page, which is lower than many parishes in Louisiana. Certification fees may apply for official copies. La. R.S. 44:32 governs these fees statewide. Background checks through the clerk's office cost $20 per name. If you just need basic bench warrant information, the free online search through the sheriff's website is faster.
The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court website shown above provides information about accessing court records and requesting copies of case documents.
Resolving Caddo Parish Bench Warrants
Caddo Parish bench warrants need to be addressed through the 1st Judicial District Court. Hiring an attorney is the most common approach. Your lawyer files a motion to recall the warrant and tries to get a new hearing date. In Shreveport, there are many criminal defense attorneys familiar with the 1st JDC. Some judges allow voluntary surrender without arrest. Others require booking at the Caddo Parish jail first. It depends on the charge and the judge.
The public defender's office handles cases for qualifying defendants in Caddo Parish. The Shreveport City Marshal at (318) 673-6800 handles city court warrants specifically. If your bench warrant came from Shreveport City Court rather than the 1st JDC, the resolution process is different. La. C.Cr.P. Art. 211.1 permits summons and release for certain misdemeanor offenses. Bond amounts vary widely in Caddo Parish. Minor failures to appear might carry bonds of a few hundred dollars, while felony-related bench warrants could mean thousands or no bond at all.
Caddo Parish Warrant Law and Procedures
La. C.Cr.P. Art. 202 sets out what a warrant must contain. The defendant's name, the offense charged, and the issuing judge's signature are all required. Art. 203 adds details about the format. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's warrant database displays much of this information publicly, including warrant numbers, issuance dates, and offense descriptions. This transparency is unusual for Louisiana parishes.
La. C.Cr.P. Art. 162 governs search warrants. These are separate from bench warrants. Deputies serving a bench warrant cannot search your home without a separate search warrant unless specific legal exceptions apply. La. C.Cr.P. Art. 336 confirms that warrants remain valid until served. La. R.S. 44:3 lists exemptions from public records access. While most bench warrant records in Caddo Parish are open to the public, juvenile cases, sealed records, and certain investigations are exempt.
Caddo Parish Law Enforcement Contacts
Multiple law enforcement agencies operate in Caddo Parish. The sheriff's Warrants Division is at (318) 675-2170. The Shreveport Police Department Warrants and Intelligence Division can be reached at (318) 673-6800. Shreveport City Court handles city-level cases at (318) 673-5850. For mail requests, send them to: Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, Attention: Custodian of Records, 501 Texas Street Room 101, Shreveport, LA 71101.
- Sheriff's Warrants Division: (318) 675-2170
- Shreveport Police Warrants: (318) 673-6800
- Caddo Parish Clerk of Court: (318) 226-6780
- Shreveport City Court Records: (318) 673-5850
Nearby Parishes
Caddo Parish bench warrants are enforceable statewide. The Shreveport-Bossier metro area means heavy cooperation between law enforcement agencies. These parishes border Caddo: