Need Louisiana DUI/DWI information and help?

An experienced Louisiana DWI / DUI Lawyer can make the difference for you

Select the parish of your arrest to get local information and help:

Select the city where you were arrested:

New Orleans

If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Louisiana, you face the prospect of a criminal prosecution that can result in jail time, a license suspension and a criminal record. You are probably worried about the consequences. You know you don't want to do any time behind bars, and you don't want lose your privilege to operate a motor vehicle. You may wonder what kind of impact this ordeal will have on your career, your family and your financial security. If you are like most people who face a DWI prosecution in Louisiana, you are probably feeling a little intimidated by the court process, and perhaps a little overwhelmed by the complexity of the law.

You have every right to be nervous and cautious because you are facing a charge that can and does change peoples' lives. It is a good idea to take some time now to research your options and become familiar with the basics of Louisiana DUI law and process. That way, you will be able to make the best possible decisions in your case, beginning with the key decision of which Louisiana DWI defense lawyer to chose to defend you

Louisiana DWI / DUI cases are handled at the local level

Although the law is the same throughout the state, each parish interprets the law and handles its procedures and customs a little differently for every other parish. For that reason, it is very important that you understand the local processes and speak with a lawyer with experience defending DWI cases in the parish where you were arrested:

Louisiana Drunk Driving Law

In Louisiana, impaired driving goes by the acronyms DUI and DWI, which stand for "driving under the influence," and "driving while intoxicated" by alcohol or drugs. In addition, Louisiana has a "per se DUI" law which makes it illegal to drive with an alcohol level of 0.080 or greater. It is possible to be charged with more than one count of Louisiana DWI or DUI based on a single LA drunk driving arrest.

Louisiana DUI law is a complex maze of codes, statutes and cases, and fills volumes of law books. The state has separate laws that deal with child endangerment while driving under the influence. There are also laws for underage DUI/DWI, refusing to take a chemical test, DWI in a commercial vehicle, and injuries and deaths caused while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Louisiana DWI / DUI Punishments

If you plead guilty or no contest, or are found guilty, you will be subject to Louisiana DWI/DUI Penalties. The punishment ranges are described in the code. As a basic premise, all Louisiana DUI convictions expose you to jail time. The more serious the offense, the more potential and actual jail time you will face should you be convicted. The biggest factors that determine your penalty (assuming that nobody got hurt) are whether you have any prior DWI convictions, and how high your alcohol level was. As a person gets past their first couple of arrests (which is relatively rare), they can be looking at years in prison (even if nobody got hurt).

Because the penalty codes have such a wide range of potential jail terms, fines, license suspensions and other sanctions, it is critical that you consult with a DUI lawyer who knows the system in the parish where you will be prosecuted to get a handle on your actual risk exposure. When you speak with a lawyer, it is very important that you be completely honest about your history and the facts of this case. The more your lawyer knows, the better advice and help he will be able to provide to you.

Louisiana DWI/DUI License Suspensions and Interlock Devices

In addition to the criminal penalties discussed above, you are also subjected to potential civil license suspensions and the possibility of having to have a breath test machine installed in your vehicle. Under Louisiana Implied Consent Law, you are deemed to have given your consent to a chemical test in the event of a DUI arrest. If you refuse the test, you will face sanctions that include a license suspension. If you agree to the test and fail it (.08 for adults, .02 for minors), then you will also lose your license.

An attorney can help you request a hearing and make sure that it gets requested in a way that you will not be denied your right. Once you get a hearing, a hearing officer employed by the Louisiana DMV will determine whether the police officer has proven facts necessary to take your license. If the hearing officer finds in your favor, you will not have a suspension.

In the event that you do lose your license, you may be eligible in certain cases for a DWI hardship license. To qualify, this must be your first or second DUI/DWI arrest, and you must not have had an alcohol level of 0.20 or higher. Then, in order to get the license, you will have to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle.

Whatever you do, make sure that your attorney knows all of the issues surrounding license suspensions and restrictions in Louisiana DWI cases, and knows how to interact with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to make sure that you get the best possible outcome in your case.

Your Louisiana DUI/DWI case may not be as bad as you think

There is a myth that Louisiana drunk driving cases are impossible to beat, and that if you are charged you might as well just plead guilty and get it over with. The fact is that cases are dismissed or reduced every day, and many of those cases might have seemed as hopeless as your situation does to you right now.

Did you know that DWI chemical testing in Louisiana is flawed and imperfect? The numbers associated with your breath or blood test might be wrong, and they might make you look guilty when in fact you are not. Breath testing is subject to a host of potential problems and errors, ranging from mechanical to human. In addition, the machine is simply not equipped to measure physiological differences between human beings that can cause a drastic variation in reported alcohol level. Blood test is prone to tracking problems, contamination and human errors. The state may not be able to lay a proper foundation to use the results against you in court.

But here's the problem. If you don't have an experienced Louisiana DUI attorney investigating your case, you may never know about issues that could save you from conviction, or result in a reduction of your charges or sentence. You may never know if there is a legal issue that prevents a key piece of state evidence, or if a key witness has credibility problems or is unavailable to testify. Defense lawyers deal in the weaknesses of the government's cases every day, and can leverage the flaws that they find in order to secure you a better result and future.

You owe it to yourself to consult with an experienced Louisiana DWI defense lawyer to see whether you have a case, and what can be done. Most good defense lawyers offer a free initial meeting for people who are serious about hiring a private lawyer, so you have literally nothing to lose and the world to gain. You will feel better knowing that you were proactive rather than passively waiting for the State to have its way with you. The Louisiana DUI/DWI Court Process is scary, and it's much better in most cases to have an experienced attorney as your guide and your voice in court. There is too much at stake for you here, so take action and start gathering information and support today.

Select the parish of your arrest to get started: