Once you have been charged with public intoxication, you could be issued a citation, receive a summons to appear in municipal court, or get arrested and brought to jail. In any of these scenarios, you will be assigned an arraignment date to appear in court. At that first court date, you will be required to either enter a not guilty plea or plead guilty to the offense. The next court appearance will set for trial.

Without a public intoxication attorney who has extensive knowledge of the legal system in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes, you will have to stay in town and make these appearances yourself. Ignoring a court summons will cause the judge to issue a bench warrant for your arrest. This could lead to more charges or even jail time and a criminal record.

In New Orleans, public drunkenness is a municipal offense. If these charges are carried out, you won’t have the blemish of a felony conviction on your record, but you are still at risk for a variety of long-term consequences.

• Unless they are expunged, misdemeanor offenses stay on your record and will show up in background checks. This could hinder your ability to get a new job, rent a new apartment, or secure a professional license.
• Jail time or a hefty fine could cause you to lose your job, put a dent in your savings, or alienate you from your friends and family.
• A misdemeanor charge could negatively affect your chances of emigrating or obtaining visas for work and travel.

Due to the subjective nature of the public drunkenness charge, and unlike a DUI/DWI traffic stop, there is no breathalyzer or blood test required to prove you are intoxicated in public in New Orleans . A police officer makes a subjective determination of an individual’s level of intoxication and potential to harm oneself or others before deciding to cite someone for the offense. In other words, it is only the officer’s opinion which determines whether you appear to be intoxicated. That’s why it’s important to hire an experienced attorney with a deep understanding of the New Orleans legal system who will be able to contest these misdemeanor charges and investigate the officer’s claim thoroughly.

Here’s what you can expect when you hire the Law Office of Lance J. Robinson to represent you:

• We will appear in court on your behalf so you can have peace of mind knowing an experienced public drunkenness legal team is handling your case. 
• We will request a copy of the police report and look for inconsistencies that could lead to a dismissal of charges.
• Whenever possible, we will interview witnesses to see if there is insufficient evidence, inconsistent statements, or lack of independent witnesses which could help your case. 
• We will review the case closely to see if you actually violated any city or state laws and if the arresting officer followed the laws. 
• We will negotiate with the New Orleans city attorney to get your misdemeanor or criminal charges dropped or reduced.
• We will prepare an aggressive defense if the charges do not get dropped or reduced to your satisfaction.
• After we help you get the best outcome for your case, we will expunge the arrest or conviction from your public record , so you can have a fresh start with a clean slate.