Most people arrested for party-related crimes in he French Quarter or other parts of the city find themselves with a case pending in New Orleans Municipal Court. Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and big conventions where young folks and professionals let loose are examples of situations that can lead to arrest or summons, and prosecution in Municipal Court.

DON”T WORRY ABOUT IT. I promise you that you are not the first person like you that I have represented. I have done this for 15 years, and as a matter of fact, I represent 10-15 people like you every month!

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.

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.