Many of our clients facing criminal charges are understandably curious about the 15th Judicial District (Lafayette, Vermilion and Acadia Parishes) Pretrial Intervention Program. This is a program open to first time offenders with non-violent charges. The benefit of pretrial diversion…
One of the questions my law office receives most often is -- am I eligible for pre trial diversion? In a previous post, First Time Offenders: Louisiana Pretrial Diversion Law, I explained how the Louisiana pre trial diversion process works.…
Many of my criminal defense clients and their families ask similar questions -- What diversion programs are available? Am I eligible? What about work release, GPS monitoring, and day reporting programs? Could I enter a drug diversion program? Where do…
It’s easy to think that anyone arrested for a crime has criminal tendencies and should be punished. But the truth is that many people charged with crimes are not what we would consider “criminals.” Sometimes a person is in the…
Parents are understandably scared and upset when a son or daughter is arrested and charged with possession of drugs. The severity of the charge depends on the type and amount of the drug, but if your child is a first…
I recently represented a Louisiana man charged with felony theft of oil field equipment. Because this type of equipment is very expensive and also readily available in the Lafayette Parish area, it is common theft item. The victim, the owner…
There are many differences between how state court systems handle first time offenders. For example, in Louisiana, they have what is know as “pre-trial diversion” which is available for qualified first time offenders with non-violent felony or misdemeanor charges. Assuming that you…