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LOUISIANA PROTECTIVE ORDER REGISTRY
In 1997, legislation was passed (La. R.S. 46:2136.2) which created the Louisiana Protective Order Registry (LPOR) and named the Judicial Administrator’s Office of the Louisiana Supreme Court as the entity responsible for the development and maintenance of this computerized database.

The Louisiana Protective Order Registry is a statewide repository for court orders issued for the purpose of preventing harassing, threatening, or violent acts against a spouse, intimate cohabitant, dating partner, family or household member. In addition to developing and maintaining the database, the Judicial Administrator’s Office is responsible for creating and disseminating standardized order forms, called Uniform Abuse Prevention Order forms. All courts are mandated to use these standardized forms.

The LPOR was officially launched in April, 1999, when the database was completed and the initial version of the standardized forms was ready for release. Since that time, the registry has provided training seminars across the state to explain how the registry works, highlight relevant state and federal laws, and disseminate the standardized forms and interactive software. These seminars are designed for, but not limited to, judges, magistrates, commissioners, hearing officers, judicial administrators, clerks of court, other court personnel, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, law enforcement personnel, victim assistance providers, victim advocates, legal services providers, and attorneys.

As of March 31, 2005, there were 114,864 orders in the registry. Of this total, approximately 72% of the orders were civil and 28% of the orders were criminal. A breakdown by order type appears below.

82,580 civil orders, including:

32,284 criminal orders, including:

Access to information in the registry

Project Partners

How the registry works

The benefits of having a statewide protective order registry

How to obtain the LPOR forms

How to obtain the training schedule and register for a seminar

For more information about the registry


Access to information in the registry
According to La. R.S. 46:2136.2, “the Judicial Administrator’s Office shall make the Louisiana Protective Order Registry available to state and local law enforcement agencies, district attorney offices, the Department of Social Services, office of family support, support enforcement services, office of community services, the Department of Health and Hospitals, bureau of protective services, the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs, elderly protective services, the office of the attorney general, and the courts.”

Law enforcement officials can search the registry for active orders as part of a routine background or warrant check, if they use a terminal licensed by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections/State Police, or have established a direct connection to LPOR via the CMIS Metro Server. If an order is in the registry and is active, the search will yield a summary of the order’s terms and conditions. The official conducting the search can also request a fax-back copy of the scanned order.

In addition to law enforcement officials, judges, prosecutors, probation personnel and the attorney general can obtain information from the registry for consideration in domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases. Access for courts is available through a direct link or via dial-in to the CMIS Metro Server.

The Department of Social Services, office of family support, support enforcement services, office of community services, the Department of Health and Hospitals, bureau of protective services, the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs, and elderly protective services can access the LPOR via dial-in after a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement has been executed between the agency and the Judicial Administrator’s Office of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Louisiana State Police officials can search the registry when an individual applies for a concealed weapon permit. Examiners with the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System (NICS) can access our state’s protective orders through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), because the registry transmits qualifying orders to this national database, as well. This means that those subjects of a protective order who are prohibited under federal law from possessing, purchasing, transporting, or selling a firearm or ammunition during the period of the order can be denied a weapon, when they submit an application for purchase through a licensed firearms dealer. See Access page.

Project Partners
The Louisiana Protective Order Registry (LPOR) has a number of project partners.

• The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) continues to provide substantial financial support for the registry through federal National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)/Crime Information Technology Act (CITA) funds and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) subgrant funds.
  
• The Telecommunications Division of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections/State Police works closely with project staff to maintain the necessary links between the registry, the state’s computerized Criminal History Records (CHR) database, and the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) Protection Order File (POF) database.
  
• The LPOR Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from various statewide organizations and associations, along with experts in the field of domestic violence, meets quarterly to provide ongoing project direction and guidance.
  
• Court personnel in the 4th, 14th, 19th, 24th, 34th, and 35th Judicial Districts and New Orleans Municipal Court tested early versions of the standardized forms and helped project staff refine the order transmission procedures. These and other courts continue to provide valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement, as the registry evolves and forms are revised to track changes in state and federal laws.

How the registry works
The original set of standardized forms has grown to include forty-two (42) forms in the current version (v.5.1). Created to be used in conjunction with the registry, these forms include two subsets. Forms LPOR A through Z are courtesy forms. Their use is optional rather than mandatory, and the completed forms are not transmitted to the registry by the clerk of court. This subset includes instructions, petitions, motions and other related forms.

The second subset, LPOR 1 through 20-R, comprises the Louisiana Uniform Abuse Prevention Order forms. Their use is mandatory, when an order of protection is issued by a court within the state. The law provides that the judge “shall cause to have prepared” the standardized order form and that the clerk of court shall transmit the filed order to the registry by fax, mail, or courier as expeditiously as possible, but no later than the close of business the day after the order is filed.

When the order is received by the Judicial Administrator’s Office, an image of the order is scanned and saved. The information contained in the order is manually entered into the registry by a data input clerk. When entered, the information can be searched by authorized users, such as courts, prosecution agencies, probation and parole agencies, law enforcement agencies, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Health and Hospitals and the attorney general’s office. When an order expires, it is automatically removed from the searchable database and is archived. It is then accessible only by courts and prosecutors.

The benefits of having a statewide protective order registry

• The full spectrum of relief available under Louisiana law is incorporated into the Louisiana Uniform Abuse Prevention Order forms, making it more likely that victims and their children will receive the types of relief they require.
  
• Instant access to protective order information appears to have improved the response to domestic violence incidents and enhanced safety, not only for the victims and their children, but also for the responding officer(s).
  
• Several national studies have demonstrated that the more specific the terms and conditions of a protective order, the greater the likelihood the order will be enforced. Therefore, we believe that the use of standardized order forms, which clearly spell out the terms and conditions of the order, has enhanced enforcement. In turn, better enforcement of protection orders can only increase protection for victims and their children.
  
• The entry of protection orders into a centralized database has increased the enforcement of orders across jurisdictional lines both within and outside of the state.
  
• Maintaining a statewide centralized database of protection orders, both civil and criminal, makes it possible to prohibit an individual who is the subject of such an order from purchasing a gun or qualifying for a permit to carry a concealed weapon, during the period of the order.

How to obtain the LPOR forms, software and other products
The version five.1 (v.5.1) forms were published to the Web site (www.lpor.org) at the end of January, 2005, where they can be downloaded and printed. These forms can also be ordered in hard copy or on CD-Rom. In addition, the registry has created interactive software, LPOR FormsExpress (v.5.1), LPOR FormsExpress 46 (v.5.1), and LPOR FormsExpress 17 (v.5.1), which allow the user to enter data, print completed forms, and generate local reports.

To request the forms, software, or a training manual, all of which are free, contact Francis Robinson, LPOR Administrative Assistant, by phone at 504-568-6798, by fax at 504-568-5739, or by email at frobinson@lajao.org.

LPOR Training Programs
LPOR provides regional seminars in cities across the state during the year. To view a schedule of upcoming programs, or to register online, go to the Web site at www.lpor.org. In addition, LPOR provides customized training programs for specific audiences by request. If you would like to explore the possibility of bringing the training team to your area, contact Francis Robinson, LPOR Administrative Assistant (see his contact information in the paragraph above).

Contact Information

Patsy Taylor	Phone: 504-568-5208
LPOR Director	Fax: 504-568-5739
Judicial Administrator’s Office	Email:
Louisiana Supreme Court
1555 Poydras Street, Suite 1550
New Orleans, LA 70112-3701

Frank DiFulco	Phone: 504-310-2561
Assistant Chief Information Officer	Fax: 504-310-2570
Judicial Administrator’s Office	Email:
Louisiana Supreme Court
400 Royal Street, Suite 1190
New Orleans, LA 70130-8101

The Louisiana Protective Order Registry is a project  of the Office of the Judicial Administrator, Supreme Court of Louisiana