A common mistake that many people make is that they believe that every lawyer is well trained and practiced in the handling of drunk driving cases. Hiring a lawyer who does not regularly have contact with this kind of case could prove to be counterproductive in the end. Sadly, this is not the case with all criminal defense lawyers. You need a trustworthy DWI lawyer in Lafayette. This way, you are more confident and assured when you attend a court hearing and appear at DMV hearings.
The sentence assigned to this crime is all dependent on the circumstances exactly surrounding the offender. There is usually an increase in premium car insurance policy following a conviction, probation, and even community service and litter abatement. A few others include:
1. MADD Victim Impact Panel
2. Installation of ignition interlock devices
3. Substance abuse evaluation and treatment
4. Financial restitution the victims involved and
5. Incarceration in a parish or prison for a period of up to six (6) months or even as long as a few years in the case of a felony DUI case.
If you happen to get arrested for DWI, the legal obligations, consequences, as well as the monetary parts, will definitely be challenging. If care is not taken, you could end up paying a huge amount of money for fines. This could leave you penniless and unable to cater to the needs of your loved ones. One of the very first things you would have to do would be to hire the services of a knowledgeable and well-trained DWI attorney that is capable of handling the case for you.
The Barkemeyer Law Firm has been established in Lafayette for many years to help with DWI cases. Our Louisiana DWI lawyers are one of the few DWI focused law firms when it comes to the handling of DWI cases.
DWI Penalties in Lafayette Parish
Even if this is your first time as a DWI offender, there are stated penalties that you could be facing such as:
Fines: You may be asked to pay hefty fines. Most of the times, these fines could range from $300 to over $1000.
Jail Time: You could end up serving jail time. For a DWI case, the minimum jail time you could serve is 24 hours while the maximum is six months. Bear in mind that irrespective of how short the duration is, it would definitely take a toll on your personal life.
License Suspension: You could have your driver’s license suspended for over two years. This basically means that you would not be able to drive your car for two years.
Community Service: You may be asked to serve mandatory community service for about 40 hours or more. The number of hours to be served will depend on certain factors.
It is important that you remember that DWI is an enhanced offense which basically means that the punishment would increase with every conviction you accrue. Some of the other punishments you may end up serving would include: installing an ignition interlock in your car which you would have to pay for, you could be asked to attend a substance abuse program, or even a MADD victim program. Things could get worse if you happen to be a repeat offender.
DWI Law Firm in Lafayette, Louisiana
At the Barkemeyer Law Firm, we have a team of well-qualified DWI lawyers who are willing to give their very best in service to our clients. In such times of trouble such as when receiving a DWI, it is easy to be stressed out and extremely anxious. As lawyers, we hope to be able to get the best possible result.
Our office is conveniently located in downtown Lafayette. We are blocks from both courthouses where we defend clients for DWI and DUI, which are the Lafayette City Court and Lafayette Parish District Court.
Contact us for help at 337-761-3121.
Important Resources
Lafayette Parish District Court
