Louisiana Criminal Defense

Stay calm and say as little as possible. You have the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer — use both. Politely decline to answer questions about what happened until you have an attorney present, and do not try to “explain your way out of it.” Police are allowed to mislead you during questioning, and well-meaning statements often do more harm than the original charge.

Do not consent to searches, do not post about your case on social media, and call a defense attorney as soon as you are able. The earlier a lawyer is involved, the more options you tend to have.

In Louisiana, the dividing line is the possible punishment. A felony is any offense that can be punished by death or imprisonment at hard labor. A misdemeanor is anything else — typically punishable by a fine, by jail time without hard labor, or both.

The distinction matters well beyond the sentence. Felony convictions carry long-term consequences for voting, firearm rights, professional licensing, and employment. That is why even a “lesser” felony charge deserves serious defense attention from the start.

Yes. For serious felony cases tried before a jury, the verdict must be unanimous. The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed this in Ramos v. Louisiana (2020), ending Louisiana’s old practice of allowing split 10–2 or 11–1 convictions.

Offenses where punishment is necessarily confinement at hard labor are tried before a twelve-person jury, and all twelve must agree to convict. Certain lesser offenses are tried before a six-person jury, where again all six must agree. A single juror’s reasonable doubt can prevent a conviction.

Not without advice. A plea offer can sometimes be the right outcome — but it is the prosecutor’s opening position, made before your lawyer has tested the State’s evidence. Plea offers frequently improve once the defense investigates, files motions, and exposes weaknesses in the case.

A guilty plea is a conviction with lasting consequences. Before you accept anything, have a defense attorney review the evidence, the strength of the charges, and the collateral effects on your record, your job, and your rights.

Usually they need a warrant or your consent — but there are exceptions, and the rules are technical. Officers may search in certain situations such as a lawful arrest, plain view of contraband, or genuine emergencies. Vehicles have somewhat looser rules than homes, and phones generally receive strong protection.

If a search was unlawful, the evidence it produced may be suppressed — kept out of your case entirely. Whether that applies to you depends on the specific facts, which is exactly the kind of issue a defense attorney examines early.

Significantly. Under reforms enacted in 2024, parole eligibility was eliminated for most adult offenders for crimes committed on or after August 1, 2024. The amount of sentence that can be reduced through “good time” credit was also sharply limited, meaning many people now serve a much larger share of their sentence.

Because the rules depend heavily on the offense and the date it occurred, the consequences of a conviction today can be very different from a few years ago. An attorney can explain how the current law applies to your particular charge.

An arraignment is an early court appearance where you are formally told the charges against you and asked to enter a plea — typically “not guilty” at this stage. It is not a trial, and it is not the moment to argue your case.

Entering “not guilty” preserves all of your rights and gives your defense team time to obtain discovery, investigate, and build your strategy. Having counsel at or before arraignment helps ensure deadlines and bond issues are handled correctly from day one.

It depends on the seriousness of the charge, the complexity of the facts, and how far the case is likely to go. A misdemeanor resolved early costs far less than a felony that proceeds to trial with expert witnesses.

What matters most is value, not just price: skilled early representation can mean reduced or dismissed charges, avoided jail time, and a protected record — outcomes that are worth far more than the fee. We discuss fees openly and clearly at the consultation so there are no surprises.

Some Louisiana records can be expunged or sealed, but eligibility depends on the offense, the outcome, and how much time has passed. Certain dismissals and arrests that did not lead to conviction may be eligible sooner, while some serious offenses cannot be expunged at all.

Because the waiting periods and eligibility rules are specific, the best approach is to have an attorney review your record and tell you precisely what relief, if any, is available to you.

Yes — “minor” is misleading. Even a first-offense DWI in Louisiana can carry fines, license suspension, mandatory programs, and a permanent criminal record that follows you for jobs and insurance. Charges that feel small at the courthouse can have outsized effects on your life.

An attorney can challenge the traffic stop, the testing procedures, and the evidence, and may be able to reduce or resolve the charge in ways that protect your record and your driving privileges.

We are trial lawyers first. Our lead attorney has tried more than sixty felony jury trials to verdict and brings a graduate-level background in forensic DNA and serology to cases where the science actually matters. Prosecutors negotiate differently when they know a firm is genuinely prepared to go to trial.

We defend clients throughout Baton Rouge and across Louisiana, and we treat every case as if it is headed for a jury — because the best plea outcomes come from the cases you are ready to try.