DWI in Louisiana is an enhanceable offense, which means that a later conviction for the same crime will lead to a harsher sentence. The second DWI conviction will have harsher penalties than a conviction for a first offense DWI, and third offense DWI is a felony.

Another enhanceable offense is possession of marijuana. A first offense possession is a misdemeanor offense in Louisiana, and like a DWI 1st, will not typically result in jail time.  A second conviction for possession of marijuana will have harsher penalties than a first conviction, including felony status and possible jail time.

Due to the harsh nature of offenses like DWI or certain drug charges, it is very important to have an attorney representing you at every state of the process.

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.