On this page
Will a Kenner lawyer really come to Houma?
Yes. Barry handles cases in Terrebonne Parish and the surrounding parishes, and he makes the drive to court. Our office in Kenner is about 55 to 65 minutes (roughly 55 miles) from the courthouse in Houma.
You do not need to come to us to get started. Barry offers remote consultations by phone or video, and the first one is free and confidential. One client's friend wrote on Avvo: "He kept My friend out of jail. This attorney goes above and beyond. He drove quite aways to attend court hearing."
Barry also knows the bayou parishes. Early in his career he worked in the 17th JDC Public Defender's Office, which serves neighboring Lafourche Parish.
Where will a Houma DWI be heard?
Felony DWIs in Terrebonne Parish are prosecuted by the 32nd Judicial District Attorney in the 32nd Judicial District Court, at the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse, 7856 Main Street in Houma. Misdemeanor DWIs may be heard in the 32nd JDC as well. Houma also has a city court that may handle some misdemeanor and traffic cases, so check the court named on your paperwork.
If you were held after the arrest, the parish jail is the Terrebonne Criminal Justice Complex at 3211 Grand Caillou Road. Arrests inside the city are made by the Houma Police Department, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office covers the rest of the parish, including Bourg, Gray, Schriever, Montegut, Chauvin and Dulac.
Commercial drivers: a DWI can cost your CDL
If you hold a commercial driver's license, a DWI hits harder. Under federal rules that Louisiana enforces, a DWI conviction in any vehicle, even your personal truck, disqualifies your CDL for 1 year, or 3 years if you haul hazardous materials. A second major offense means a lifetime disqualification, with possible reinstatement after 10 years.
In a commercial vehicle, the limit is 0.04%, not 0.08%. A refusal also counts as a major offense. Federal rules also block states from masking a CDL holder's conviction through diversion, so a plan that works for a regular driver may not protect a CDL. Tell Barry right away if you drive for a living.
Your license: 30 days to act
The license suspension runs on a separate track through the Office of Motor Vehicles. You have 30 days from the arrest to request a hearing, and your license receipt is your temporary license during that time.
A first failed test (0.08% to 0.149%) brings 180 days, 0.15% or more brings 2 years, and a first refusal brings 1 year. A restricted license with an ignition interlock is usually available right away for non-commercial driving. Call (504) 905-8399 so we can file the request on time.
Louisiana DWI penalties in short
- First offense: $300 to $1,000 fine and 10 days to 6 months, often suspended with probation and an ignition interlock.
- Second offense: $750 to $1,000 fine and 30 days to 6 months, at least 48 hours served.
- Third offense: felony, $2,000 fine and 1 to 5 years, plus possible vehicle seizure.
A BAC of 0.15% or more or a child 12 or under in the car makes the penalties tougher. Our DWI and DUI defense page explains each level in full.
How Barry works a Terrebonne Parish DWI
Distance does not change the work. Barry gets the police report, the video and the testing records, and he reviews them the way he once did as a prosecutor. He checks the reason for the stop, how the sobriety tests were given, the breath machine's maintenance records and any blood test chain of custody. He keeps you updated by phone so you are never guessing about your case.
When the evidence has real problems, Barry raises them in motions and in talks with the prosecutor. When a negotiated result makes more sense for you, he explains why in plain terms and lets you decide. Either way, you get a lawyer who has tried felony cases and who prepares your case as if it may go to trial.
Your first 24 to 72 hours
- If a loved one is at the Terrebonne Criminal Justice Complex, call us about bail. Louisiana requires a judge appearance within 72 hours, not counting weekends and holidays.
- Find your citation and license receipt and mark day 30 on your calendar.
- Write down every detail of the stop.
- Call (504) 905-8399 for a free remote consultation, any time, day or night.
See our Houma criminal defense and Terrebonne Parish pages for other charges.