Because of the difference in the suspension period, the governor and the task force members feel that the current law encourages drunk drivers to refuse a breath test. Opponents say the task force focused on only increasing penalties rather than offering treatment for chronic drunk driving offenders. One state representative cited a situation where a family member had to travel 1,100 miles to get treatment not offered in Louisiana, and indicated that harsher penalties alone will not necessarily change behavior issues.

Jindal approved of the DWI license suspension measure last month and the issue will be considered during the upcoming 2009 legislative session.

Have you been arrested for DWI in Louisiana?

Under current LA DWI law, a first offender who refuses to submit to a breath test is subject to suspension of driver’s license for six months. If the person took and failed a test, the suspension is for two years. The new law would increase the suspension period to two years for refusal. A second DWI conviction would result in a four year suspension and an inability to get a hardship license for travel between home and work or school.

Another measure calls for criminalizing driving with a suspended license after a DWI conviction. Such action is currently treated as a traffic violation. A third law would streamline the driver’s license suspension process following a Louisiana DWI arrest.

The Governor acknowledges that key details have to be worked out before the measures are presented to the 2009 legislative session, which starts April 27. The goal is to introduce the proposed laws to the state legislative body by May 6.

Were you arrested for DWI in Louisiana?

Thomas, a 10-year veteran with the sheriff’s department, has been suspended without pay. The department stated that Thomas had been out on an extended sick leave and he should not have been driving the patrol vehicle while off-duty.

Have you been charged with LA DWI?

They are: increase the penalty for driving with a suspended license from a fine to a criminal offense; increase the penalty for refusing to submit to a breath test to check for blood alcohol content in a suspected Louisiana DWI; and limit information covered in pre-trial hearings. In the latter situation, Louisiana DWI defense lawyers are gathering police officer testimony at pre-trial hearings and then using any conflicting statements during trial to impeach the officer’s testimony and seek dismissal of the case. Similar legislation failed last session.

The DWI task force was hand-selected by Governor Bobby Jindal, with the hope that the recommendations from the group would hold greater influence with members of the Louisiana State Legislature. The task force plans to meet again in early March to finalize its proposals. The legislative session starts April 27.

Do you need a Louisiana DWI attorney?

Nevils in the DA for the 8th Judicial District of Louisiana in Winn Parish. He was booked on charges of Louisiana DWI, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to maintain control of his vehicle.

Have you been charged with driving while intoxicated in Louisiana?

Welch was booked at the Shreveport City Jail on charges of suspicion of drunk driving in Louisiana around 4:00 am. He was later released on bond.

Welch is a three year veteran with the Shreveport Police Department, assigned to the Uniformed Services Division. He is on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Have you been arrested for DWI in Louisiana?

Edwards said he had heard of five arrests on Interstate 55 for driving while intoxicated in Louisiana in the first hours after evacuations were ordered. While that figure has not been confirmed by state police, Edwards used at meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to raise the issue of DWI penalties in order to improve the state’s response to hurricanes.

Edwards is proposing the creation of a new charge titled ‘Evacuation Driving While Intoxicated’ that would require jail time. In the lawmaker’s words, to have the driver ‘dry out’ for a few days at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. He is also considering mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device before an offender can resume driving.

The chairman of the House Select Committee has said that it is soliciting ideas from a number of sources to address problems associated with hurricane evacuations.

Do you need to hire a Louisiana DWI Lawyer?

LaCaze, 57, was taken to the Natchitoches Parish Jail and booked on charges of Louisiana DWI, improper lane usage and having an open container in the vehicle.

A city spokesperson has indicated that the city will wait for the legal system to reach a decision before possibly disciplining LaCaze. In the mean time, his ‘take home privileges’ have been revoked, and he is not allowed to drive a city vehicle after normal business hours.

Were you charged with a Louisiana DWI?

During 2007 there were a total of 18 accidents in the parish, and going into the peak boating season there have already been 12 accidents this year.

Being charged with Louisiana DWI while boating carries the same penalties as drinking and driving.

If you have been charged with Boating While Intoxicated or Driving While Intoxciated in Louisiana you need a Louisiana DWI Lawyer.

The news station management is reviewing the incident.

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State police were called to the scene because of Caballero’s reported obvious intoxication. Caballero was charged with driving while intoxicated in Louisiana and improper lane use after failing a field sobriety test. He was taken to a police station in Kenner where he refused to submit to a breath test. For the first time in the evening Caballero identified himself as a police officer and the command staff at NOPD was contacted.

Caballero is a 2-year veteran with the New Orleans Police Department working in the 3rd District. He has been suspended without pay pending an internal investigation.

If you have been arrested for Driving While Intoxicated in the New Orleans Parish you will need to hire a New Orleans DWI laywer.

A Shreveport woman is at the center of a police brutality case that is gaining attention from federal agencies. Last November Angela Garbarino was arrested for drunk driving in Louisiana and hit-and-run after crashing her car in a local casino parking garage and again on a nearby street.

While being booked for suspicion of DWI she refused to submit to a breath test. She repeatedly asked for the right to make a phone call and to have an attorney present. Garbarino attempted to leave the booking room purportedly to make a phone call. At that point Officer Wiley Willis handcuffed Garbarino and a video camera captured him shoving her into a wall, pushing her to the floor and forcibly placing her in a chair.

Willis then turned off the video camera and when the camera was turned back on, the images showed Garbarino lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Garbarino, 42, suffered two black eyes, a head gash, a fractured cheek bone, multiple bruises, a broken nose and lost two teeth. She claims Willis beat her, slammed her into a file cabinet and then threw her onto the floor as she cried for help.

Willis, 30, was dismissed from the police department in early February after an extensive internal investigation into the incident. The mayor of Shreveport, the district attorney’s office and the local police chief have all indicated that police brutality and policy violations will not be tolerated and the case is being reviewed further. Now the U.S. attorney’s office has said that the federal government will open its own investigation. Federal law permits the FBI and the U.S. attorney to become involved in cases of excessive force.

Willis contends that Garbarino fell and hurt herself. The Shreveport police union board supports Officer Willis, saying his firing is a smear campaign. They also question his guilt because no criminal cases have been filed. While Willis’ file contains four commendations it also includes at least two separate complaints of excessive force. In one case he allegedly held his service revolver to the head of a teenager while demanding that the parents back away.

The case has drawn significant attention since the police video tape was released and posted on the internet.

Are you looking for a Louisiana DWI Lawyer?

Typically a driver’s license is suspended for 90 days after an arrest for DWI in Louisiana, though after thirty days the driver could petition for a hardship license if certain requirements were met. The license allowed the motorist to operate a vehicle during specified times of the day between work, school or approved destination. The new legislation still allows those arrested for driving drunk in Louisiana to request a hardship license. To do so however now means that the motorist must install an ignition interlock device.

An interlock device requires the motorist to breath into a tube and the small machine tests for presence of alcohol. According to the Louisiana DWI law, if a blood alcohol content of 0.3% or higher is detected, the ignition of the vehicle is disabled for a set period of time. Records from the equipment are sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as the case probation officer and judge.

The motorist is responsible for all costs associated with the device, including installation, monthly rental and having the equipment regularly tested and calibrated. Once the sentence for drunk driving is complete and all terms for probation have been met, the ignition interlock can be removed and the vehicle will operate normally.

There is an option of a ‘hardship license’ if the first time offender agrees to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. To start the car the driver would have to blow into a tube that measures blood alcohol content. The car can only be started if the BAC is below a certain level, usually .04% or half the legal limit. The ‘hardship license’ can only be used for travel to work, school or church.

Under the proposed legislation, repeat Louisiana DWI offenders would lose their license for two years, or twice as long as current law allows. Subsequent drunk driving charges would result in a three-year suspension.

The DUI bill is now heading to Governor Kathleen Blanco.

The Louisiana DWI Resource Center will be a non-profit organization aimed at reducing the number of DWI incidents and alcohol related injuries in the state. The Center will maintain a database of DWI information and victim’s rights. It will utilize public awareness campaigns, alcohol abuse education, drunk driving prevention efforts and research in its mission to reduce Louisiana DWI.

Laurenson is the mother of a high school student killed by a speeding drunk driver in 2004. She says the Louisiana DWI Resource Center will be an ongoing effort to stress that “drinking and driving kills.”