LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette City Court building is closed to the public but limited staff remain working to handle court matters by mail or fax.
According to a release from city court clerk's office, the city court building is scheduled to resume normal operation to the public on April 13.
City court also released the following guidelines for those who still want to use it.
All persons having business with the City Court of Lafayette can continue to file civil pleadings, evictions, criminal pleadings and other matters with the appropriate department via fax or U.S. Mail.
All civil pleadings, new petitions including new eviction proceeding, answers or other pleadings should be faxed to the court’s civil department at (337) 291-8771 in accordance with Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 850
All criminal/traffic motions or other filings should be faxed to the court’s criminal/traffic department at (337) 291-8774.
The court’s mailing address is Post Office Box 3344, Lafayette, Louisiana 70502-3344.
All sessions of court between March 16 - April 10 are cancelled and will be rescheduled by the court. As of March 24, the court intends on holding court sessions on a limited basis beginning Monday, April 13.
All cases on or prior to April 10, will be reset and the court will send notice to the last address that was provided on file.
The court states that it is defendant’s responsibility to ensure that the court has a current address. If your address has changed, you must provide the new address in writing to the court by mail.
The court’s mailing address is Post Office Box 3344, Lafayette, Louisiana 70502-3344.
You must include your full name as it appears on your old notice, your docket number and your new address including city, state and zip code.
You can also provide a contact number and email address.
All efforts will be made to contact each defendant so the more information that you provide the better the chance of contact.
According to the court, some traffic and criminal fines can be paid on the court's website.
Since March 2, more than 370 people have taken advantage of the court’s online payment system with more than $55,000.00 collected to date.
For those that have not yet used the online system, the judges remind those having traffic tickets that most traffic tickets can be paid on line by using the Court’s website, www.CityCourtLafayetteLA.org.
Traffic and criminal fines can also be paid by mail, (do not send cash) payable to City Court of Lafayette, and mailed to the court c/o Traffic Violations Bureau, Post Office Box 2086, Lafayette, Louisiana 70502. If your ticket is court mandatory, you will not be able to pay it online.
Those matters will be reset by the court. You may be able to have your mandatory appearance waived but you must make the request by contacting the traffic/criminal department at the number provided below.
The court states that there will be a limited amnesty period on existing warrants and driver's license forfeitures remains open through April 10.
Several people have taken advantage of the limited amnesty period that was established by the Lafayette City Court Judges.
This applies to all parties with existing criminal or traffic warrants or driver’s license forfeitures.
During this period, warrants will be stayed for any person with an existing warrant or driver’s license forfeiture that contacts the criminal/traffic department at the phone number listed below and provides the following: Identifying information, including but not limited to race, gender, social security number, driver’s license number (if any); and date of birth; and also provides a new physical address, phone number and email address.
If so contacted, a new court date will be provided and the warrant/license forfeiture will be stayed until the new court date.
Notice will be provided by regular mail to the defendant. Should the defendant fail to appear at the new date the warrant or forfeiture will be reinstated.
Should the defendant appear, the warrant or forfeiture will be recalled and all previous contempt waived.
This amnesty only applies if you contact the court. Until such time, the warrant or forfeiture remains active and the person can be arrested.
The court also provided contact information for defendants:
- If you are represented by an attorney, please contact your attorney;
- If you are represented by the Public Defenders’ Office, please contact the attorney assigned to your case;
- For civil and eviction matters, please call: (337) 291-8720, Option 3 or fax (337) 291-8771;
- For criminal/traffic/OWI matters, please call: (337) 291-8720, Option 2 or fax (337) 291-8774;
- For fine payment questions please call: (337) 291-8720, Option 1;
- For juvenile delinquent/traffic matters please call: (337) 291-8720, Option 4 or fax (337) 291-8181;
- For court service/probation/review hearing matters please call: (337) 291-8845 or fax (337) 291-8181; and
- For any matter not listed here, including contact the Court Administrator at (337) 291-8720, Option 6.