Serious charges. Sober strategy. Early moves.
A felony case starts deciding itself in the first days — bond, statements, evidence, and the story the file tells before the defense shows up.
Felony Defense
Jackson Square
The file is being written right now. The defense should be in it.
Between arrest and arraignment, the case takes shape fast: a bond is set, statements are taken or refused, witnesses talk or scatter, video gets preserved or overwritten. In Louisiana, a person arrested without a warrant must be brought before a judge for a probable cause determination promptly — and every step in that early sequence is an opportunity or a loss.
Felony exposure in Louisiana is not just the charge on the paperwork. The habitual offender law can multiply a sentence based on prior convictions, which means the plea decision on this case echoes for decades. No one should evaluate an offer without understanding that arithmetic.
This practice treats every felony as a trial case from day one — because files prepared for trial settle better, and files prepared to settle try poorly.
From booking to verdict, deliberately.
Bond and first appearance.
Release conditions get fought early — a client at liberty helps the defense; a client in custody serves time before any conviction.
Discovery and investigation.
The State's file is the floor, not the ceiling. Independent investigation — witnesses, scene, video, phones — fills in what the report leaves out.
Motions practice.
Suppression, quashal, severance, in-limine rulings: the motions calendar is where trial risk gets reshaped, and where writ-worthy rulings get preserved.
Resolution or trial.
A negotiated result is accepted only when it beats the realistic trial outcome — and the client makes that call informed, not pressured.
Asked in nearly every first call.
Should I talk to detectives to clear my name?
No — not before counsel. Detectives interview to build cases, not to close them. A respectful “I want my lawyer present” protects you; it cannot legally be used to prove guilt.
What makes a charge a felony in Louisiana?
Louisiana classifies offenses by the sentence they carry — felonies are crimes punishable by death or imprisonment at hard labor. The label controls jury size, exposure, and collateral consequences, so charge classification is checked at the start.
Can felony charges be reduced or dismissed?
Regularly — through suppression, proof problems, negotiation, or diversion where available. Nobody can promise an outcome, but outcomes track preparation, and preparation begins immediately.
Talk through the case before the next deadline does the talking.
Calls and texts are answered day and night. Share only what you are comfortable sharing — the first conversation is about timing, exposure, and what has to happen next.
504-247-6411