A misdemeanor is a crime for which the maximum possible punishment is incarceration for one year or less. The legal procedures for misdemeanors are usually simpler than for felonies, the penalties less severe and the long-term consequences less harsh.

This is an overview of what you should and should not do in the event you are arrested and charged with a misdemeanor offense in the State of Louisiana. Share this information with your friends and loved ones who live in or may be traveling to New Orleans, or call me now if you have been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor offense.

You can call or text me immediately on me cell phone at 504.237.5245, call my office at 504.528.9500, email me at townsend@nolacriminallaw.com, or find @nolalaw on twitter.

In order to have a misdemeanor conviction expunged, the Louisiana State law requires that an individual first have the conviction dismissed and set aside under the provisions of Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 894. In order to take advantage of this provision, your attorney must, at the time of your sentencing for a misdemeanor conviction, move the sentencing judge to allow you conviction to be entered under Article 894. This provision of the law allows a judge to dismiss your case set your conviction aside after the successful completion of a period of probation. Only under those circumstances can you move the court to dismiss and set your misdemeanor conviction aside. For that reason, it is imperative to have effective representation from a criminal defense attorney at all stages of the misdemeanor process.