Webster Parish District Court Overview
The primary trial court for Webster Parish is the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court. The official court source states that the 26th JDC is one of Louisiana's 43 judicial districts and has original jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters in Bossier and Webster Parishes. The Webster side of the district operates from the Webster Parish Courthouse in Minden, while the same judicial district also has a Bossier Parish courthouse in Benton.
District court is the right venue for felony and many misdemeanor criminal prosecutions, civil suits beyond the lower court path, divorce and custody filings, successions, interdictions, protective orders, nonsupport settings, jury trials, and other general-jurisdiction matters. The district court is not the right first stop for every local ticket or city matter. Minden Police Department tickets and city criminal or traffic matters route to Minden City Court, while state-law traffic tickets use the District Attorney traffic process and Webster Parish Sheriff's Fine Department when payable.
The 26th JDC court calendar source shows how Webster Parish District Court work is organized by year, week, courtroom, judge, jury setting, protective order, and nonsupport setting.
The calendar source is a scheduling tool, not a full case search, but it helps confirm when district court events are assigned.
Webster Parish District Court Divisions
The 26th JDC has six elected judicial divisions, A through F, plus hearing officers. The divisions are district-wide, so a Webster Parish case may be tied to a judge whose biography and staff information appear on the shared Bossier and Webster court website. Courthouse contact still depends on whether the user is dealing with the Webster courthouse or the Bossier courthouse.
| Court or division | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26th Judicial District Court, Webster Parish Courthouse | General civil and criminal district court | 410 Main Street, Minden, LA 71055 | Judges office 318-371-1311; clerk 318-371-0366 |
| Division A, Chief Judge Michael O. Craig | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Division B, Judge Charles Smith | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Division C, Judge Allie Aiello Stahl | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Division D, Judge Douglas M. Stinson | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Division E, Judge Michael Nerren | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Division F, Judge Parker Self | District judge | Via 26th JDC Webster and Bossier courthouse offices | Use courthouse office contacts |
| Hearing officers Helen Marrs and Sarah Hood | District court hearing officer work | Via 26th JDC court administration | Use court administration contacts |
Webster Parish District Court Compared
Louisiana does not use a county court label for Webster Parish trial-court work. The relevant comparison is district court, Minden City Court, and local lower courts such as mayor's courts or justice of the peace courts where a narrower matter belongs. Minden City Court is the clearest published lower court in the research.
| Point | District Court | Minden City Court | Mayor or Justice of the Peace Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General civil and criminal trial court for Webster Parish district matters. | City criminal, traffic, juvenile, civil, small claims, evictions, and certain money or property claims. | Local or narrow matters depending on the court and venue. |
| Civil scope | General jurisdiction unless another court has a specific narrower role. | Small claims, damage suits, evictions, money/property recovery, and notes/accounts up to $35,000. | Limited local civil or peace-court functions where authorized. |
| Traffic role | State-law traffic matters connect to DA and sheriff fine channels when payable. | Minden Police Department tickets are handled here. | Local ordinance or lower-court traffic matters may vary. |
| Record custodian | Webster Parish Clerk of Court for district court records. | Minden City Court clerk or administrator. | The lower court clerk or court office. |
Webster Parish Case Flow
A Webster Parish District Court case moves through the system based on case type. Criminal matters can begin with arrest and prosecution screening before a bill of information, indictment, plea, hearing, trial, disposition, or sentence. Civil matters begin with a petition and move through service, answer, motions, exceptions, trial, judgment, and possible appeal.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › DA screening › bill of information or indictment › arraignment › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Petition filed with clerk › service › answer or default path › motions, exceptions, or rules › trial or judgment › certified copies › appeal when available.
Appeals from Webster Parish District Court judgments go to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Second Circuit, with possible further review by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Webster Parish District Judges
The district court's official judge pages provide current judge and staff information. Division B is Judge Charles Smith, and Division D is Judge Douglas M. Stinson. The manifest assigns both judge-page images to the Webster Parish District Court page, so they are used here as official source examples for district-wide judicial division information.
View the 26th JDC Division B source.
Division B is one of the six elected divisions that can appear in 26th JDC scheduling and case materials.
View the 26th JDC Division D source.
Division D is another district-wide judicial division, and the judge page helps distinguish court administration from the Clerk of Court record office.
Webster Parish Court Calendar
The 2026 Webster Parish court schedule uses Courtrooms A, B, and C and includes judge names or surnames, jury terms, protective orders, nonsupport settings, grand jury labels, petit jury labels, and civil jury labels. The calendar helps users confirm court activity, but it is not a substitute for the full case file or certified docket from the clerk.
Civil scheduling details from the clerk are specific. Preliminary defaults are entered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Confirmations of default are held Tuesdays only, and confirmation requests must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. the preceding Friday. Civil court begins at 9:30 a.m. except for special settings, and civil court is not scheduled for judges holding petit or civil jury terms.
Note: Judges, staff attorneys, and law clerks cannot discuss pending cases or give legal advice outside proper filed motions and notices.
Webster Parish Courthouse
The Webster Parish Courthouse is at 410 Main Street, Minden, Louisiana 71055. The district court lists the Webster judges office at 318-371-1311 and fax at 318-377-0389. The clerk uses the same courthouse street address, P.O. Box 370 mailing address, and 318-371-0366 phone number. Normal published office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Webster Parish Courthouse
410 Main Street
Minden, LA 71055
P.O. Box 370, Minden, LA 71055
Judges office: 318-371-1311
Clerk: 318-371-0366
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Webster jurors report to Courtroom A on the second floor. Court users are subject to search, should not bring weapons or items perceived as weapons, should turn off electronic devices inside courtrooms, and should not bring food or drinks into courtrooms. Courtroom dress rules prohibit shorts, tank tops, and hats.
Webster Parish Lower Courts
Minden City Court is the local lower court with the most detailed published scope. Judge Sherb Sentell III presides, and Clerk of Court and Administrator Tammy Frye runs the office. The city court handles criminal, traffic, juvenile, and civil procedures, including small claims, damage suits, evictions, money/property recovery, and suits on notes or accounts up to $35,000. Plaintiffs filing claims over $5,000 must use a lawyer.
This matters for record searches. Minden Police Department tickets do not follow the same DA traffic and sheriff fine department path as state-law tickets issued by Webster Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police, Wildlife and Fisheries, DOTD, or similar agencies. A person looking for a city ticket or city court matter should contact Minden City Court rather than assuming the district court calendar or ClerkNet will show it.
Webster Parish Specialty Programs
The 26th JDC also publishes specialty and family intervention programs. Drug Court is located at 3022 Old Minden Road, Suite 218, Bossier City, and serves eligible participants with substance abuse or addiction issues through treatment, frequent court review, drug testing, sanctions, incentives, and accountability. The program is voluntary, and successful completion can support an application for expungement under the cited drug court statute.
Families in Need of Services is an informal juvenile and family process serving youth ages 5 through 17. FINS aims to reduce formal juvenile court involvement where possible, improve family relationships, and connect families with services. It can involve truancy, school-rule violations, runaway conduct, ungovernability, repeated alcohol-related conduct, and caretaker conduct tied to the youth's behavior.