Winn Parish District Court Overview
The Eighth Judicial District Court is the primary trial court for Winn Parish. The official court site identifies it as one of Louisiana's judicial districts with original civil and criminal jurisdiction in Winn Parish. Louisiana's state court structure runs from the Louisiana Supreme Court to five courts of appeal, then to district courts and limited-jurisdiction courts such as city, parish, mayor's, traffic, municipal, and justice of the peace courts.
Winn Parish has one elected district judge. Judge Anastasia "Staci" Wiley began the district-court term on January 1, 2021, after previously serving as Winnfield City Judge from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2020. The court office is in the Winn Parish Courthouse at 119 West Main Street, Rooms 113-117, while the Clerk of Court is in Room 103 and keeps filed court records.
The official 8th JDC judge and staff page identifies Judge Wiley, court staff, FINS contacts, and child-support hearing officer information.
That page is the best official source for current district judge and staff details tied to Winn Parish District Court records.
Winn Parish District Court List
Winn Parish does not have several numbered district courts. The research identifies one Eighth Judicial District Court serving the parish, plus related local offices on or near West Main Street. The table also includes the clerk, prosecutor, public defender, and appellate court because those offices shape how district court records move from filing through appeal.
| Court or office | Role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eighth Judicial District Court | General jurisdiction trial court | 119 West Main Street, Rooms 113-117, Winnfield, LA 71483 | 318-628-4596 |
| Winn Parish Clerk of Court | District court record custodian | 119 West Main Street, Room 103, Winnfield, LA 71483 | 318-628-3515 |
| 8th JDC District Attorney | Criminal prosecution | 119 West Main Street, Winnfield, LA 71483 | 318-628-2141 |
| District 8 Public Defender | Criminal defense for eligible defendants | 116 West Main Street, Winnfield, LA 71483 | 318-628-3592 |
| Court of Appeal, Second Circuit | State appellate review | 430 Fannin Street, Shreveport, LA 71101 | 318-227-3700 |
District Court and Lower Courts
The district court is the main trial court for Winn Parish, but it is not the only place a record may start. The State Court Structure Map lists City Court, Mayor's Court, and Justice of the Peace Court as lower-court categories for Louisiana. Winnfield City Court exists in local history and current court context, but a detailed official city-court docket page was not located in this research batch. Justice of the Peace contacts are listed by the Winn Parish Police Jury.
| Topic | District Court | City or Mayor's Court | Justice of the Peace Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General civil, criminal, family, juvenile, child support, and probate jurisdiction | Local ordinance, city-level traffic, and municipal matters where created | Limited local civil, eviction, or small-claim style matters depending on ward authority |
| Record custodian | Winn Parish Clerk of Court for filed district records | The specific local court or city office | The specific justice of the peace or listed ward contact |
| Traffic matters | DWI or serious criminal traffic may route here | Some city tickets may route here | Some local tickets or lower-level matters may route here |
| Bench warrants | May issue for missed district court appearances | May issue for missed local appearances | May issue for missed JP matters where authorized |
Winn Parish Case Flow
District court records are built as filings and events occur. Criminal files may start after arrest and prosecutor review, while civil or probate files start when a petition is filed with the clerk. The record then grows through notices, motions, hearings, orders, minutes, judgments, and possible appeal.
Criminal flow: Arrest or summons › DA charge by bill of information or indictment › arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentence › appeal or post-judgment action.
Civil or probate flow: Petition filed › service or notice › response or default › hearings or motions › judgment or order › certified copies › appeal if available.
The 2026 court calendar is an official local asset and includes separate date categories for felony, misdemeanor, juvenile, child support, civil jury, grand jury, and jury dates.
Winn Parish Court Divisions
The Eighth Judicial District Court handles civil and criminal matters in Winn Parish and also supports family, juvenile, child support, and probate or succession filings. Civil records can include petitions, answers, service returns, motions, orders, judgments, garnishments, liens, and money judgments. Criminal court records can include bills of information, arraignment minutes, bond orders, motions, plea forms, sentencing minutes, probation conditions, and warrant activity.
Family records include divorce, custody, support, name change, protective order, and related domestic matters. Probate or succession records include petitions, wills filed in court, judgments of possession, inventories or descriptive lists, tutor or guardian filings, and accountings. Juvenile records are more restricted under Louisiana Children's Code Article 412, with traffic violations and express authorizations treated differently from confidential juvenile matters.
The official 8th JDC jury guide explains jury pools, jury coordinator instructions, dress rules, exemptions, and the Sunday-before-term call instruction.
The jury guide matters for district court records because jury dates and trial settings shape docket entries and case minutes.
Winn Parish Courtroom Rules
The official court information page gives unusually specific courthouse rules. Court begins at 9:00 a.m. unless a notice states otherwise. No one may enter the courtroom with a purse, backpack, similar item, cell phone, pager, or other electronic communications device. Attire rules prohibit shorts, caps, hats, and lounge or pajama pants. Pants must be worn at the waist, and shirts must be tucked in.
Criminal and juvenile parties or witnesses must sign in when they arrive, but the court warns that signing in is not an appearance. A person must remain until called or a bench warrant can issue for nonappearance. Civil parties may be asked to wait in the hallway depending on crowding. People who are not parties but want to watch or hear a case should speak with the bailiff. Juvenile cases are limited to parties and parents or guardians.
The 8th JDC language access page is linked from court pages for interpreter and language services.
Language access can affect hearings, notices, and the practical ability to understand Winn Parish District Court records.
Winn Parish Court Forms
The official court forms page lists a felony guilty plea form and links to guided Louisiana Judicial forms for uncontested divorce without children and name change. It also references a change-of-address requirement for people whose address or contact information has changed. Some listed plea forms were marked as coming soon in the research, so the page should be checked before relying on a form.
The 8th JDC orders and forms page is the official source for local posted forms and court-linked statewide guided forms.
Filed forms become part of the district court record only after they are accepted and placed into the case file.
Winn Parish Specialty Matters
The research did not locate a detailed Winn Parish drug court, veterans court, mental-health court, DWI court, or reentry court manual. It did find local specialty-related contacts and docket categories. The judge and staff page identifies FINS officers Aleta Hoffman and Kelly Willis, with phone 318-209-8300 and email winnfins@yahoo.com. FINS, or Families in Need of Services, is a Louisiana juvenile and family intervention path rather than a public criminal docket.
The judge and staff page also identifies Martin S. Sanders, III as child support hearing officer, and the 2026 calendar includes child support dates. The forms and navigation mention diversion or specialty court language and rehabilitation and services information, but no official Winn program criteria, program length, or eligibility matrix was located.
Winn Parish District Court Appeals
Appeals from Winn Parish District Court generally route to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Second Circuit. The Second Circuit sits in Shreveport and covers the 20 northernmost parishes. Its official history page says it has nine judges elected from three election districts, with chief judge selection by seniority. Further review may go to the Louisiana Supreme Court by appeal in limited categories or through writ application, depending on the case type.
The Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal is the official appellate court source for Winn Parish state-court appeals.
District court case records remain with the parish clerk, while appellate briefs, orders, and opinions follow the Second Circuit's separate record system.
Note: Federal court records for Winn Parish use the Western District of Louisiana and PACER, not the parish district court or clerk.