Criminal Law

Criminal Law

If you are accused of a crime, getting a private lawyer instead of a public defender is a judgment call that you have to make based on your situation and the circumstances.

Pleading can have long term consequences you need to know about.

Our firm is equipped to handle many types of criminal charges, misdemeanor as well as felony. Navigating the Criminal Justice system on your own is never advisable, as you are at a disadvantage against prosecutors whose job it is to convict you.

Our defense attorneys are concerned with protecting your rights and have the skill and tenacity to help secure the most preferable outcomes possible.

Even if you plead, make it the best outcome possible.

Felony vs. Misdemeanor

lady liberty
  • Read More

    Felonies are more serious crimes often punishable by longer prison terms at hard labor.  Misdemeanors can involve jail time, but will not involve hard labor.  Felonies may result in the loss of 2nd amendment rights, and the right to vote.  Certain misdemeanors are more serious than others because they are enhanceable offenses, which make a second offense very bad, or because they carry special registration requirements or costs or affect your civil rights.

Domestic Violence

brick building
  • Read More

    Domestic abuse is a serious and sensitive crime.  It can ruin the lives of both the victim and the accused.  It almost always involves a stay-away order, which prohibits the accused from contacting the victim.

    It is a legal conundrum because just the accusation in and of itself must be taken as fact in order to protect all people, especially women (although of course men can be and are often victims too), although the accused are still in need of able and sensitive defense.


    Domestic abuse is additionally complicated because often victims want to drop charges after the arrest, but that doesn't mean the event didn't happen.


    It also doesn't mean that it happened exactly as described in the initial meeting with police, which leads to problems for both the accuser and accused. It is a sensitive area that must be handled with care.


    http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=206153

Drugs

drugs
  • Read More

    Drugs charges are specific to the actual drug, be it marijuana or cocaine or the precursors to methamphetamine (psuedoephedrine), or hallucinogens or pills, even heroin and crack.  The statutory authority is spread throughout the civil code to enforce control of these substances. Quantities over a certain amount of some drugs make the charges much worse, and so does distribution (selling) of these substances.  Selling them to people under the age of 17 is another escalating factor.


    Many cases involving drugs can be seen in terms of addiction and therapy, and hopefully that route will be available.


    http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=98876


Assault and Battery

fist in air

Guns / Firearms

gun
  • Read More

    Firearms in and of themselves are not illegal, just as prescription drugs are not in and of themselves illegal.  But the method of usage, posession, who what when where and how - these things can be illegal.


    If you have an illegal firearm or have carried a legal firearm in an illegal way, it will often involve giving up the firearm.


    These cases are very factually dependent, and will hinge on the circumstances of the alleged offense.


Misdemeanors

court room
  • Read More

    Misdemeanors are often municipal (city) offenses instead of State offenses.  The same crime can often be criminalized by the state as well.  While misdemeanors do not always carry the same penalties as worse charges, they often carry other civil ramifications, such as traffic tickets that impact your insurance rates.  Misdemeanors will often appear on job background checks.  The good news is that you can often mitigate the consequences of these cases with the right legal approach.

Expungements

signing contract
  • Read More

    When available, expungements can purge your criminal record of past offenses.  Note: Law Enforcement and certain government agencies will always be able to see your past arrests and convictions, but the goal is to remove them from public record searches so that they don't follow you around for the rest of your life.

Other Crimes

handcuffs with key
  • Read More

    There are obviously other lesser and more serious crimes, such as murder, rape, and anything else that can come up.  These cases are difficult to give a general overview on, and require an appointment to discuss.

Share by: