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Getting arrested in Louisiana sets a clock running whether you’re ready or not. A hearing gets scheduled, decisions need to get made fast, and most people are working from guesses about what any of it means.
An arrest lawyer in Louisiana represents clients from the moment of arrest through every stage that follows, including the first court hearing, bond, and the charge itself. Rozas Law Firm has represented clients across Louisiana since 2004, in parish courts throughout the state.
An arrest is the start of the legal process, not the end of it, and what happens in the first few days can shape everything that follows. Whether the charge is a traffic-related offense, a drug charge, or something far more serious, Rozas Law Firm’s criminal defense team has represented more than 11,000 clients since 2004 and knows how Louisiana’s parish courts actually run.
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What to Do After an Arrest
Louisiana law generally requires a person in custody to be brought before a judge within 72 hours of arrest for purposes including appointment of counsel, with Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays excluded from that calculation. The court may also address or review bail at that appearance. This is not a hearing to determine guilt or innocence. A few things to keep in mind in those early hours: say as little as possible to police beyond identifying yourself, since anything said can be used later regardless of how casual the conversation feels. Write down what you remember about the arrest itself while it’s fresh, including who was present and what was said. And contact a lawyer before your first hearing, not after, so someone is prepared to argue for reasonable bond terms on your behalf.
The right next step also depends on the charge itself. Rozas Law Firm’s criminal defense team handles arrests involving:
- Misdemeanor charges, which are still serious even though they carry lower maximum penalties than a felony
- Felony arrests, which carry the possibility of state prison time
- DUI/DWI arrests, including cases involving field sobriety or breath test results
- Drug crime charges, from simple possession to distribution
- Assault and battery charges
- Violent crime charges and homicide or murder arrests
- Sex crime charges
- Federal arrests and internet crime charges, which often involve separate federal procedure
Why Choose Rozas Law Firm to Help with Your Louisiana Arrest
Rozas Law Firm has represented clients across Louisiana since 2004, with over 20 years of combined experience and more than 11,000 clients served. Founder David Joseph Rozas and Supervising Criminal Law Attorney Shea R. Smith lead a team that includes an in-house investigator and full-time paralegal staff, resources that matter in the early days after an arrest when evidence and witness accounts are still fresh.
Our firm maintains offices across the state, including the Baton Rouge office, the Lafayette office, and the Lake Charles office, with attorneys who appear regularly in the parish courts serving those communities. Representation is available in English and Español, reflecting the communities our firm serves.
Do I Need a Lawyer After I Am Arrested in Louisiana?
Yes, and the earlier the better. An arrest is not a conviction, and the presumption of innocence applies from the first moment you’re taken into custody through the entire case. What happens between arrest and trial, or arrest and a dismissed charge, often comes down to decisions made in the first days: what gets said to police, how the bond hearing is handled, and whether the evidence behind the arrest actually holds up.
A lawyer’s job at this stage is to make sure those decisions are made with your rights in mind rather than by default. That includes reviewing whether the arrest itself was properly supported, checking the district attorney’s filing deadlines, and preparing arguments for the bond hearing before it happens rather than scrambling the morning of. No attorney can guarantee how a case will end, but having someone in your corner from the start generally keeps more options open than waiting.
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Lawyer for False Arrest in Louisiana
Not every arrest holds up to scrutiny. Louisiana law allows officers to arrest without a warrant only in specific circumstances: when an offense happens in their presence, when they have reasonable cause to believe someone committed a felony, or when they have reliable information that a valid warrant exists. When an arrest falls outside those grounds, it can become an issue in the criminal case itself. If evidence was gathered as a result of an arrest that lacked proper legal justification, that evidence may be challenged through a motion to suppress, which can weaken or eliminate the state’s case depending on what’s excluded.
False arrest is also a recognized legal concept in Louisiana separate from the criminal case, generally requiring proof that a detention occurred and that it lacked lawful justification. This is a fact-specific question that depends entirely on what happened during your arrest, and it’s not something to evaluate on your own. If you believe your arrest lacked a proper legal basis, that’s worth raising directly with an attorney who can look at the specific circumstances, rather than assuming it either helps or doesn’t.
What Happens After a Warrantless Arrest in Louisiana?
For some warrantless arrests, Louisiana law requires a separate probable-cause determination within 48 hours when the person remains in custody. A magistrate makes this determination to assess whether probable cause supports continued detention. This process is separate from the later court appearance, which may address issues such as appointment of counsel and bail. The exact procedure can vary depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Contact an Arrest Attorney in Louisiana Today
Rozas Law Firm has represented clients arrested across Louisiana since 2004, with attorneys serving Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and communities throughout the state. The sooner your case gets a real review, the more options tend to stay on the table. Schedule a consultation with the firm’s criminal defense team to talk through your arrest and what comes next.
This page provides general information about arrests and criminal defense representation in Louisiana. It is not legal advice, and visiting this page does not create an attorney-client relationship with Rozas Law Firm. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is different, and no attorney can promise a specific result.
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