Louisiana DWI Attorneys

Ascension Parish, LA: Donaldsonville Office: (225) 590-7174
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA: Baton Rouge Office: (225) 590-7174
Iberville Parish, LA: Plaquemine Office: (225) 590-7174
Livingston Parish, LA: Livingston Office: (225) 590-7174
St. Helena Parish, LA: Greensburg Office: (225) 590-7174
St. James Parish, LA: Convent Office: (225) 590-7174
Tangipahoa Parish, LA: Hammond Office: (225) 590-7174
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA: Port Allen Office: (225) 590-7174

Calcasieu Parish, LA: Lake Charles Office: (337) 214-4075
Cameron Parish, LA: Cameron Office: (337) 214-4075
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA: Jennings Office: (337) 214-4075

Lafayette Parish, LA: Lafayette Office: (337) 235-5791

What to do if you have been arrested for a DUI / DWI in Louisiana

If you have been charged with a DUI / DWI in Louisiana there are two things that you need to consider:

1) Take the DUI / DWI charge seriously.

Your drunk driving charge will not go away on it’s own. You need to find an experienced criminal defense attorney who focuses on DUI / DWI defense.

A conviction for a DUI / DWI in Louisiana will have long lasting consequences. A criminal record can affect your employment, your future and your personal freedom.

2) Hire an experienced Louisiana DWI Lawyer.

It’s very important that you hire an attorney who focuses their law practice on DUI / DWI defense. A drunk driving charge is a complicated case and needs to be handled by an attorney that has extensive experience knowledge drunk driving defense.

Louisiana DUI / DWI Laws

Understanding the DUI / DWI laws in Louisiana and courtroom proceedings can be a challenge. Hiring a qualified Louisiana DWI Lawyer who focuses on DUI / DWI defense can make a difference in the outcome of your drunk driving case.

In the state of Louisiana it is a crime to operate any motor vehicle while intoxicated to the point where the operator’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is .08% or greater by weight based on grams of alcohol per one hundred cubic centimeters of blood; or the operator is under the influence of any controlled dangerous substance to the degree where they are noticeably impaired. Upon determination that you meet either of these criteria you will be charged with Driving While Intoxicated and immediately have your license suspended by the arresting officer for failure of the Blood Alcohol Test or refusal to submit to the BAC test. Louisiana is what is known as an Implied Consent state which means that when you accepted your driving privileges you also impliedly agreed to participate in field sobriety testing if requested to do so by an arresting officer. Additionally by operating your vehicle in the state of Louisiana, even when you are officially a resident of another state, you impliedly agree to the Louisiana Implied Consent law.

Upon arrest for a DUI / DWI in Louisiana there will be two legal proceedings initiated. One is of a criminal nature and will be prosecuted through the Louisiana criminal court system. The second is of a civil nature and involves the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles initiating actions to suspend your driving privileges. The second action begins with your arrest and you have only seven days from the date of your arrest to request a hearing from the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles to avoid having your driver’s license suspended before your DUI / DWI case is even adjudicated upon. The consequences of acting too late or making the wrong decisions concerning your DUI / DWI case can have disastrous long term consequences for your future driving privileges and insurance rates, depending on the details of your current case and if you have any prior offenses of a similar nature in any other states. Louisiana is a member of the Interstate Driver License Compact and shares information concerning your past driving record with the other 44 participating states. Convictions for a past DUI / DWI in a state that is a member of the Interstate Driver License Compact can have a significant impact upon the disposition and sentencing of your current Louisiana DUI / DWI case.

Louisiana § RS 14:98 ‐ Driving Offenses

The Louisiana Revised Statute 14:98 defines Driving While Intoxicated as operating a motor vehicle when

• Under the influence of alcohol
• Controlled dangerous substance drugs
• When a person’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or greater
• When a person is under the influence of a combination of alcohol and a non-controlled dangerous substance
• When a person is under the influence of one or more drugs which are not controlled and which are obtainable with or without a prescription

In Louisiana if you are stopped for DWI and you have a child under the age of 12 in the vehicle, then there is an additional violation of the Child Endangerment Law, requiring harsher penalties.

If you have a blood alcohol over .15, or the next level, .20, then penalties are harsher.

The penalties are enhanced, or made harsher, as one goes from a first to a second, to a third, to a fourth, to a subsequent fourth offense for Driving While Intoxicated.

At the third offense level, the DWI becomes a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor crime, which is what DWI first and second offenses are.

The DUI / DWI attorneys on DWI.com offer an initial review of your case. Your inquiry is both free and confidential.

To begin fighting your DUI / DWI in Louisiana click on the parish that you were arrested in, but do it now, as time is very critical in a Louisiana DUI / DWI case.

Call (800) 852-8005