UPDATE: MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) (09/14/2020) (4:50 p.m.) — Chief Judge Danny Ellender announced today that the Fourth Judicial District Court, which encompasses Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes, was the recent victim of a malicious cyber incident. 

The incident was limited to the Court only and did not impact either parish’s Clerk of Court office, where all case records and documents are maintained. 

Chief Ellender says there should not be any disruption in court proceedings or other services offered by the court due to the cyber attack. 

Anyone who has received a subpoena, notice to appear, or who has a conference, hearing or trial scheduled in court is expected to appear at the date and time as previously directed.

The Court is working closely with IT experts, as well as various governmental agencies and law enforcement and due to the sensitive nature of the case, the courts will not provide any other information while the investigation is still active.

MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) (09/14/2020) (11:33 a.m.) — Cyber-criminals who claim to have launched a ransomware attack on The Fourth Judicial District Court of Louisiana have published what they claim to be stolen court documents online.

According to an article published by InfoSecurity Magazine, the attackers claimed to have stolen court documents that are responsive verdicts for a second-degree kidnapping, an armed robbery, and a case of aggravated rape among other documents.

As of right now, the Fourth Judicial District Court of Louisiana website, 4jdc.com, appears to be down.

The Fourth Judicial District Court of Louisiana covers Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes, and handles civil, criminal, and juvenile cases.

KTVE/KARD reached out to the Fourth Judicial District Court for a statement from the Clerk of Court, who was unavailable at the time. An employee did say that these are just rumors following the Court’s systems being knocked offline during Hurricane Laura.