Our Livingston DWI attorneys provide aggressive and experienced representation throughout Livingston Parish. We represent clients from Denham Springs, Walker, Livingston, Holden, Albany, Springfield, Frost, and Watson. Whether your DWI case is in Livingston Parish District Court or Denham Springs City Court, we can help.
We defend clients in Livingston Parish who have been charged with DUI and DWI in Livingston Parish District Court, Denham Springs City Court, and Walker Municipal Court.
Criminal charges may result in severe legal consequences upon a conviction. If convicted, you will not only lose your freedom and certain alienable rights, but you will also damage your reputation with your family, friends, and community.
Court in Livingston Parish
If you have received a DWI in Livingston Parish, you will most likely have court in either the main courthouse in the town of Livingston or in City Court in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Only misdemeanor DWI charges are prosecuted in City Court. These charges will be the result of an arrest in the city of Denham Springs by Denham Springs City Police. On the other hand, if you were arrested for felony DWI or a misdemeanor DWI and the arresting agency was not Denham Springs PD, your case will be heard in Livingston District Court.
First Steps After Receiving a DWI
The first step after receiving a DWI charge is getting out of the Livingston Parish Detention Center. The entire bond may be posted or a bail bond service in Livingston, Louisiana could be hired. You only have a maximum of 30 days from the date of arrest to request an Administrative Hearing regarding the proposed suspension of your driver’s license for either refusal of the breathalyzer or blowing over the limit. Mr. Barkemeyer can help with this stage of the DWI charge process. You will also receive a court date which is the Arraignment date. It will take place in the criminal courtroom with a judge and prosecutor present. This is the beginning of the criminal case.
DWI Defense in Livingston
If you have been charged with a crime in Livingston Parish, hiring a skilled Livingston DWI attorney is vital to obtaining a successful verdict in court.
Our DUI defense attorneys at the Barkemeyer Law Firm have tried numerous criminal cases in state and federal courts. We will not hesitate to take your case to trial if it is in your best interest.
The DWI defense attorneys at the Barkemeyer Law Firm can help you or someone you know if you need a criminal lawyer in Livingston.
If you are one of those worried about the various penalties of driving while Intoxicated (DWI) then you are definitely on the right page. Unknown to most people the penalties of this case in Livingston Parish are harsh and you could find yourself spending a considerable number of years in jail. This is definitely something that you should not take for granted. Aside from the fact that you may end up behind bars, you may have to pay huge sums as fines, or be under intense monitoring. Irrespective of the penalty meted out, one thing you will definitely agree is that none of these penalties are mild. Each can take a toll on your career and your personal life. For example, being behind bars would definitely affect your employability. It could bury your chances of getting a good job, for those that have jobs, having a criminal record could result in lack of promotion.
DWI Attorneys in Livingston Parish, Louisiana
The Barkemeyer Law Firm has been established to handle DWI cases in Livingston Parish. One of the most amazing things about this establishment is that they recognize that the needs of each client is different from that of the others. That is one of the main reasons why we at Barkemeyer Law Firm treat our clients separately. We understand that for each client, the information gathered from chemical tests and field tests may differ from that of the others. They are also aware that each client has different work and personal life that DWI may affect. These factors are taken into consideration when representing a client. This is one of the main reasons why we have a number of wins in our portfolio. We are able to relate with our clients, thus, helping our experienced and skilled DWI attorneys in Livingston Parish to devise the best strategies and plans that can be implemented to ensuring that our clients do not have to spend even a second behind bars.
When it comes to DWI, it is important that you remember that there are a number of obligations that you would have to attend to. The financial aspect, the legal consequences, and obligations would also be taken into consideration. You would find this extremely difficult if you do not have a well-trained, highly-experienced, and best DWI attorney in Livingston by your side. We are here to ensure that those with DWI cases have legal backing as they seek to overturn their situation. Currently, we are a leading DWI law firm in the state and we boast of vast experience in handling DWI cases.
Spending time in jail is not something anyone in Livingston Parish should think about. It taints your record and also reduces your chances of getting a good job. Also, jail time will definitely affect your loved ones. This is simply why you have to hire the service of a well-trained attorney to represent you. You need to hire the services of an aggressive attorney that is capable of having your situation overturned. Aside from the fact that having an attorney will save you from jail time, an attorney would clarify certain matters and also interpret state laws while looking for loopholes that can be exploited. Our team of well-trained Livingston DWI attorneys prior to this time have won countless cases simply because they have implored strategies and plans that are brilliant and result-oriented.
Fighting a DWI case in Livingston
There are various different ways to fight a DUI case in Louisiana. When you get in touch with Mr. Barkemeyer, you will be enlightened about the different ways which can be used to fight for your rights in your DWI charge. These defenses range from challenging a DWI stop, challenging your arrest, field sobriety tests challenge, BAC tests challenge as well as challenging the evidence which the authorities have presented, and challenging the DWI prior convictions if the charge is a felony.
Challenging a DWI Stop
Before you get pulled over by a police officer, there must be reasonable grounds, and if a police officer does not have a plausible reason or never really saw you driving, then you can have your Livingston DWI attorney challenge the stop. Then, your lawyer will do everything necessary to ensure that the evidence relating to your case is excluded.
Challenging the Arrest
For a police officer to place you under arrest in Livingston, the reasons for doing so have to be sufficient enough. There must be proof that you are found driving while intoxicated. When it comes to cases like this, the police officer has the liberty of accessing so many factors, but it is specified that there must be an establishment of a particular probable cause based on specific facts and circumstances. The officer may say that you were swerving, drove over the fog line, or passed out at the wheel.
Breathalyzer and Sobriety Tests Challenged
The breathalyzer can be challenged in a wide range of ways. For example, you can challenge the effective performance of the machine or challenge the fact that you are not tested properly. Also, you can go on to challenge how knowledgeable the operator is or if they have the right license to operate the machine. Other options include challenging the fact that there was no adherence to the observation periods as well as the fact that your body temperature was higher which lead to false results.
With the help of your Livingston DWI attorney you can also challenge blood tests based on contaminated samples, the inadequacy of the phlebotomist, and the chain of custody and incorrect procedures in drawing your blood. Also, you can argue that the blood sample which was used for the test is not yours.
You can further challenge the experience of the police officer that gave you the tests by arguing against their coordination at the time of the tests and about the fact that they did not have the physical stability to carry it out.
Challenging Felony DWI
The penalties that you can face if you get caught in a felony DWI call for taking very strict measures and prudent steps at every point in the process. Therefore, it is left to the prosecutor to really prove that the convictions are plausible and true. When you work with a Livingston DWI lawyer professional like Mr. Barkemeyer, you stand a chance of fighting against DWI convictions.
DWI Penalties in Livingston Parish, Louisiana
As mentioned earlier, the penalties meted out to defaulters in Livingston Parish are not mild in any way. Some of the basic penalties that may be meted out to you include;
-You could have your driver’s licensed stripped
-You could have all your driving privileges stripped
-You may be made to serve either unsupervised or supervised probation.
-You may be asked to engage in community service
-You may be asked to pay outrageous fines
-Depending on certain factors, you may be asked to attend any of the substance and MADD victim programs.
-You could be made to serve jail time for up to six months. You will find it surprising to know that those that have had DWI cases prior to this time could get up to 30 years of jail time.
To ensure that you and your loved ones do not go through this stress, the first step to take would be to contact us immediately. Once you contact us, our team of well-trained Livingston DWI attorneys would quickly set an appointment, listen to you without judging. Depending on certain necessary factors, our attorneys immediately devise a means to have the suspension placed on your driver’s license lifted. This is the first things that would be done.
