§ 13:917 — Destruction of useless records

§917. Destruction of useless records
A. The clerk of court may upon consent of the judge, or of the majority of judges in
districts with several divisions, destroy records of any of the following judicial proceedings
when such records have been deemed by the presiding judge or judges to have no further use
or value: suits on open accounts, tort suits, workers' compensation suits, suits on unsecured
notes, suits on promissory notes, suits on chattel mortgages, and suits for eviction of tenants
and occupants. However, such proposed destruction shall be authorized only when ten years
have elapsed from the last date of action on said record or records and authorization for such
destruction has been obtained from the state archivist in accordance with R.S. 44:411.
B. No cause of action shall exist against any clerk or judge for the destruction of such
records in accordance with the provisions of this Section.
C. The clerk of court for a district court may destroy parts of records of any of the
following judicial proceedings after the lapse of five years from the date of the final
dismissal of the proceeding if authorization has been obtained from the state archivist as
provided in R.S. 44:411: suits on open accounts, tort suits, worker's compensation suits, suits
on unsecured notes, suits on promissory notes, and suits for the eviction of tenants and
occupants. The parts of records to be destroyed under this Subsection shall be limited to
depositions, subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum, returns on subpoenas and subpoenas
duces tecum, medical records, and X-rays. No cause of action shall exist against any clerk
of court or his employee for the destruction of records in accordance with this Subsection.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1975, No. 677, §1. Acts 1983, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 1, §6; Acts 1986, No. 794, §1; Acts 2008, No. 625, §1; Acts 2012, No. 101, §1, eff. May 11, 2012.