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Arrested on a drug charge in Kenner? Start here
Call a lawyer before you talk to anyone about the case. Our office is at 4224 Florida Ave., Suite 6, about 5 minutes (roughly 2 miles) from most of Kenner, so you can usually sit down with Barry quickly. Remote consultations are available too.
Arrests inside the city are made by the Kenner Police Department. If you or a family member is being held, the parish jail is the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center at 100 Dolhonde Street in Gretna. Louisiana requires a judge appearance within 72 hours of arrest, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and bail can be set then. Call (504) 905-8399, 24/7.
Kenner drug cases: First Parish Court or the 24th JDC
Misdemeanor drug charges from Kenner, such as possession of more than 14 grams of marijuana or paraphernalia, are generally handled by First Parish Court of Jefferson Parish at 924 David Drive in Metairie. Felony drug charges are prosecuted by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney in the 24th Judicial District Court at 200 Derbigny Street in Gretna.
If you are in jail, the DA generally has 60 days to formally charge a felony and 30 days for a misdemeanor. If you are out on bail, the limits are 150 and 90 days. Barry tracks those deadlines closely.
Possession or possession with intent?
The difference can mean years. Simple possession punishes having the drug. Possession with intent to distribute (PWID) claims you planned to sell or share it, and the penalties climb sharply.
- Marijuana PWID: under 2.5 pounds, 1 to 10 years and up to $50,000.
- Schedule II PWID, like cocaine: under 28 grams, 1 to 10 years and up to $50,000.
- Fentanyl PWID: under 28 grams, 5 to 40 years at hard labor.
Police often point to cash, a scale or baggies. Those items do not prove a sale on their own. Read possession vs. possession with intent for more.
Was the search of your car or home legal?
Barry looks at the search before anything else. Police generally need a warrant, your valid consent or a recognized legal exception to search. He asks:
- Why were you stopped, and how long were you held?
- Did you actually agree to the search, or did you just not object?
- If there was a warrant, was it supported and was it followed?
- Were the drugs found in a place only you controlled, or in a shared space?
If the search was illegal, Barry can file a motion to suppress. Without the drugs as evidence, the State may not be able to go forward.
Even when a motion does not end the case, the hearing gives Barry a chance to question officers under oath before trial. Their answers can expose gaps that help in negotiation and at trial.
Simple possession penalties in Louisiana
Penalties for possession depend on the drug and the weight. The weight counts the whole mixture, not just the pure drug, so a lab error or a bag weighed with packaging can push a case into a higher tier.
- Cocaine, meth, oxycodone and other Schedule II drugs: under 2 grams, up to 2 years and up to $5,000; 2 to under 28 grams, 1 to 5 years.
- Heroin: under 2 grams, 2 to 4 years; 2 to 28 grams, 2 to 10 years.
- Fentanyl: under 2 grams, 2 to 4 years; 2 to 28 grams, 2 to 10 years.
- Other Schedule I drugs: under 2 grams, up to 2 years.
Barry checks the lab report, the chain of custody and how the weight was measured.
Marijuana in Kenner: what the law says now
Possessing 14 grams or less of marijuana brings a fine of up to $100, with no jail, and is enforced by summons instead of custodial arrest. Paraphernalia for personal marijuana use is a $100 fine on a first offense. Over 14 grams is still a crime, with up to $500 and up to 6 months for a first offense. See our Louisiana marijuana laws guide and our main drug defense page.
Your first 24 to 72 hours
- Stay silent about the case and ask for a lawyer.
- Do not unlock your phone or agree to more searches.
- Write down what happened during the stop or search, in order.
- Gather bond and court paperwork.
- Call (504) 905-8399 for a free, confidential consultation.
See our Kenner criminal defense office and Jefferson Parish pages for more.