A Louisiana justice-of-the-peace eviction can move from judgment to enforcement before a tenant has assembled a complete file. Obtain the papers and seek legal help immediately. The statutory period for seeking a new trial in another court does not give a tenant the same amount of time to remain in the home.
By Stephen Babcock · Louisiana Legal Research · Reviewed October 27, 2026.
This guide covers records, fees, and review of a justice-of-the-peace judgment. It is not a substitute for responding to a pending eviction. Use the one-page court-file checklist (PDF) to organize documents while pursuing urgent help.
Confirm which court issued the papers
Read the court name, parish, ward or district, docket number, parties, hearing date, and judge’s name. A justice-of-the-peace court is not the same as a city, parish, or district court. Similar-looking eviction notices can lead to different procedures for review. Confirm the court’s actual filing location and office hours through its official contact information.
Also distinguish the landlord’s notice to vacate, the court’s rule or summons setting a hearing, a signed judgment, and a warrant for possession. Put each in date order and keep the envelope or service information. Do not assume that asking a clerk for copies answers the eviction or postpones a hearing.
The 15-day review period does not prevent a rapid eviction
Code of Civil Procedure article 4924 directs an appeal from a justice-of-the-peace court to the parish court or, where there is no parish court, the district court of the parish. The case is tried de novo, meaning anew, rather than merely reviewed on the justice court’s record. Article 4924 does not provide another ordinary appeal after that judgment; it recognizes supervisory review by the appropriate court of appeal.
Article 4925 generally requires filing suit for a trial de novo within 15 days of the judgment, or service of notice when notice is necessary. A timely new-trial application can change when that period starts. Copies must be provided to the parties or their lawyers and to the justice-of-the-peace court as the article specifies. A lawyer should calculate the deadline from the actual file.
Enforcement is a separate concern. Under article 4733, failure to comply with an eviction judgment within 24 hours after rendition permits the court to proceed immediately with a warrant for possession as the statute directs. Do not wait until the end of the 15-day review period to seek a stay. Request prompt legal assistance with the appropriate filing, an express order stopping enforcement, and any required security.
Why ordinary eviction-appeal instructions can be misleading here
Article 4735 sets demanding conditions for suspending an ordinary eviction judgment on appeal, including a sworn answer raising an affirmative defense and an appeal and bond within 24 hours after rendition. It should not be applied mechanically to a justice-of-the-peace trial-de-novo proceeding.
In Lakewood Palms, LLC v. Jennings, No. 22-C-259 (La. App. 5 Cir. June 20, 2022), the landlord challenged a district court’s stay because the tenant had not satisfied article 4735. The Fifth Circuit held that articles 4924 and 4925 controlled in those circumstances. The tenant had timely sought a trial de novo and posted a bond after the district court set it. The court denied the landlord’s writ application.
That decision matters, but it is not permission to ignore a bond order or assume that filing papers automatically stops a constable. Have counsel address the governing procedure, ask the receiving court for immediate relief, and comply with the signed order. Confirm that the justice court and the officer handling enforcement receive the order through the proper procedure.
The court records to request
Article 4918 requires a justice-of-the-peace case book documenting the proceedings and specified information. Request the case-book or docket entries as well as the papers in your own file. If a record does not exist, ask the court to identify that fact rather than treating silence as proof of what occurred.
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Use the arrow keys when the table is focused.
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Petition or rule for eviction, attachments, and hearing notice | Shows the claim presented and the hearing that was set. |
| Citations, service returns, mailed notices, and dates | Helps counsel assess service and calculate procedural deadlines. |
| Answers, motions, exhibits, and case-book entries | Identifies the defenses and evidence actually submitted or recorded. |
| Signed judgment and any notice of judgment | Shows the ruling and dates relevant to review. |
| Warrant for possession, enforcement entries, and constable information | Identifies whether enforcement has been requested or ordered. |
| Fee ledger, receipts, cost assessment, and fee schedule | Separates amounts charged, amounts paid, and the legal basis claimed. |
| New-trial, appeal, bond, and stay papers | Shows whether review or protection against enforcement has actually been sought or ordered. |
Keep your own lease, rent receipts, payment confirmations, repair requests, photographs, and communications separately. A trial de novo may require presenting the evidence again. Do not assume the receiving court will automatically have everything you gave the justice of the peace. Ask whether any recording or transcript exists; the absence of one does not mean there is no case book or written file.
Fees: request an itemized explanation
La. R.S. 13:2590 lists maximum charges for specified justice-court civil filings and services. Examples include $120 for an eviction proceeding plus $20 per additional defendant, $1 per page for certified copies, and $20 for a motion or petition for appeal. These figures are not a single all-inclusive price for an entire eviction or a trial de novo in another court.
For East Baton Rouge and Jefferson parishes, La. R.S. 13:2590.1 authorizes specified clerk-related charges in addition to or in lieu of the general schedule, including up to $30 for an eviction proceeding plus $5 per additional defendant. Ask which statute supports each charge and which office receives it. A demand should not be labeled unlawful solely because its total exceeds one line of the general schedule.
Ask for dated receipts identifying the payer, amount, purpose, case number, and recipient. Keep payments to the landlord separate from court costs and bond deposits. If cost prevents a filing, promptly ask the receiving court and legal aid about proceeding without advance costs under the applicable indigency procedure. Do not assume that permission to proceed without advance court costs also waives security required to suspend enforcement.
Sample request for your own case file
Re: [case name], docket [number], [parish and ward/district]
I am a party in this case. Please provide copies of the complete case file and case-book or docket entries, including pleadings, attachments, service returns, hearing notices, submitted exhibits, judgments, notices of judgment, and any warrant for possession.
Please also provide the itemized costs ledger, receipts for payments made in this case, the applicable fee schedule, and any new-trial, trial-de-novo, appeal, bond, or stay filings and orders. Please identify whether a recording or transcript exists and how a copy may be requested.
Electronic copies are preferred if available. Please advise of copying or certification charges before incurring them and identify any requested records that are unavailable. Please confirm the date this request was received and the person handling it.
This is a request for copies. It is not an answer, an appeal, or a request that the court postpone a hearing or enforcement. My contact information is [contact].
Ask counsel which copies must be certified. A request for copies does not extend a deadline; pursue the response, trial-de-novo filing, or stay while gathering records.
A judicial-conduct complaint cannot replace court relief
The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana’s guidance explains that its disciplinary process cannot reverse a ruling, award damages, or intervene in a pending case. A documented concern about conduct can be raised through that process, but it does not preserve an appeal deadline or stop an eviction.
For civil legal assistance, use Acadiana Legal Service Corporation’s intake page or call 1-866-275-2572. LouisianaLawHelp’s Southeast Louisiana Legal Services listing provides another regional route. State immediately if you have a hearing date, signed eviction judgment, or threatened enforcement; eligibility and availability vary.
If a landlord is using water or electricity shutoffs to force a move, see our Louisiana landlord utility-shutoff guide. For a separate housing-condition complaint in New Orleans, see the housing-hazard reporting guide. Neither complaint substitutes for responding to the eviction case.
Download the court-file checklist. Part of Louisiana Legal Research. This article provides general information; deadlines and remedies require review of the particular court record.