Lafourche Parish officials have announced that a 'No Refusal' policy tested under a pilot program will now be permanently adopted throughout the parish. Under the initiative, when a driver is suspected of driving while intoxicated in Louisiana and refuses to submit to a test for blood alcohol content, a warrant is sought for a court ordered blood draw.

Citing an interest in saving lives and altering behavior, the parish sheriff says aggressive enforcement makes "absolute, perfect sense".

Of the 30 fatal crashes in the parish in 2008 that resulted in 34 deaths, 18 involved alcohol impairment. During the same statistical period, 150 motorists were arrested for DWI in Lafourche Parish. Under current Louisiana DWI law, a driver who refuses to submit to a breath or blood test is subject to loss of driver's license for one year. With a second suspected LA DWI offense, the suspension becomes two years.

Rapides is the only other parish in the state to enact a full-time 'No Refusal' policy.

Have you been charged with a LA DWI and are looking for legal help from a Louisiana DWI attorney? ]]> http://www.dui.com/dui-library/louisiana/news/lsu-student-hits-9-cars-while-intoxicated 18-year old female stops only after crashing into a restaurant Fred Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:51:23 -0500 DWI Louisiana DWI driving while intoxicated drunk driving

An 18-year old Louisiana State University student was charged with drunk driving in Baton Rouge after crashing into nine parked cars and slamming into a local restaurant. Anne Wallace was seen backing up at full speed and hitting four vehicles. She then went forward and hit another five cars. She hit a truck with enough force to drive it into the wall of Koi Sushi on State Street. Wallace's car also struck the restaurant.

The incident left a 5 foot hole in the restaurant wall, with broken electrical lines and plumbing, and displaced concrete blocks from an adjacent retaining wall. Tables and booths in the restaurant were overturned, but no one was injured.

Wallace had a blood alcohol content of 0.13%. She was booked at the East Baton Rouge Parish jail on charges of driving while intoxicated in Louisiana and failure to maintain a vehicle.

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The New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission has revealed that arrests during 2009 reached a three year high though the focus of police action appears to still be on minor crimes. The New Orleans Police Department made 59,974 arrests last year. Of that total, 7,945 were for felony crimes. The majority of arrests were for traffic offenses, like license violations and speeding. Arrests for driving while intoxicated in New Orleans amounted to 2% of the arrests made in Orleans Parish.

The MCC contends that the figures show the police department is wasting resources with little benefit. While convictions for violent felonies have more than doubled, this has been credited to better communications between NOPD and the Orleans Parish DA's office. The number of arrests for petty municipal offenses, like public intoxication and disturbing the peace, has gone down though the types of overall arrests still show a strategy of quantity or quality.

The MCC advocates the issuance of tickets or summonses for lesser crimes, allowing officers to remain on patrol for more serious offenses. The NOPD Superintendent agrees that the department could be more efficient but says that some arrests for seemingly minor offenses are necessary.

Another issue the NOPD is facing is the time involved with arresting people with warrants or for traffic offenses who are from neighboring parishes. Of the 20,514 arrested for an out-of-parish warrant, 67% were released within a day or two when other jurisdictions would not pick up the arrestees. A new law being waiting for the governor's signature would allow officers to issue court summonses to out-of-parish offenders. This is expected to tens of thousands of law enforcement manhours for more targeted crime prevention.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Louisiana State Police arrested 229 motorists for driving while intoxicated. Of that number, five involved a 'No Refusal' initiative where the motorists were required to provide blood samples to check blood alcohol content.

The 'No Refusal' campaign was conducted in selected areas around the state. When a law enforcement officer suspected drunk driving in Louisiana and the motorist refused to submit to a breath test, a search warrant was requested from a judge. The warrant allowed troopers to take the LA DWI suspect to a medical facility and have a blood sample drawn. Though the BAC result would not be known until the sample was tested at a toxicology lab, the suspects were arrested for DWI in Louisiana and booked into jail.

State troopers say that the drunk driving crackdown contributed to only one traffic related death over the extended Independence Day weekend. Investigators of that single vehicle accident suspect the victim was not impaired, and suffered injuries from not wearing a seat belt.

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The proposal to increase the penalties for driving while intoxicated in Louisiana have been backed by the state’s District Attorneys Association. The recommendations have not yet been drafted into legislation. The 2010 legislative session begins March 29.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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