Do not just pay that Broussard ticket. Paying a citation is a guilty plea. It closes the ticket, but the conviction sits on your record for three years and raises your insurance by more than the fine. In most cases we can keep it off your record entirely, and you may never have to appear in court.
Most Broussard tickets come off US 90, Ambassador Caffery, Albertson Parkway, or LA 182. Whatever you were stopped for, you have more options than just paying it, and the right one usually keeps the ticket off your record. The Law Office of Heather C. Ford handles Broussard traffic tickets and, in most cases, can appear in court for you, so you never have to take off work.
This is the part that trips people up, and it is where local knowledge matters. Broussard straddles two parishes, Lafayette and St. Martin, so where your ticket goes depends on who wrote it and where you were stopped.
| Who wrote it and where | Where it is heard |
| Broussard city police, inside the city limits | Broussard Magistrate Court |
| Sheriff or State Police, on the Lafayette Parish side | 15th Judicial District Court, Lafayette |
| Sheriff or State Police, on the St. Martin Parish side | 16th Judicial District Court, St. Martinville |
We handle all three. A ticket you assume is a simple city matter may actually be a 15th JDC or 16th JDC case, and getting that right from the start is part of the job.
| Broussard Magistrate Court | Sessions at Council Chambers, 416 East Main Street, Broussard, LA 70518 |
| Phone | (337) 837-6259 |
| Parishes | Lafayette and St. Martin |
| Serious matters go to | 15th JDC (Lafayette) or 16th JDC (St. Martin) |
BUILDER NOTE: Confirm the Broussard Magistrate Court session address and phone, and verify whether any part of Broussard falls in Iberia Parish (16th JDC) as well, before publishing.
A city magistrate court is not a full district court, and its limits are often the key to handling a case well. Broussard’s court hears violations of city ordinances and traffic tickets written inside the city, with a magistrate presiding. It cannot hear a DWI, a felony, or a juvenile case, those go to the district court. And if the city court rules against you, you have the right to appeal to the district court for a new trial, heard fresh as if the first decision never happened. Protecting that right is part of how we work a city-court case.
A speeding ticket is not one thing. What the officer clocked you at changes how it can be charged and how much damage it does. The table below is a general guide, not a promise about your case.
| How far over | How it is treated | Why it matters |
| 1 to 14 mph over | Standard speeding under RS 32:64. | A conviction still hits your record for three years and raises your insurance. Usually reducible to a non-moving violation. |
| 15 mph or more over | Still speeding, but this is the CDL “serious violation” threshold. | A bigger insurance hit, and a real problem for the many CDL holders driving the US 90 freight corridor. |
| Around 25 mph or more over | Can be charged as careless or reckless operation (RS 14:99), not just speeding. | Higher fines and possible criminal exposure, not just a traffic fine. |
| School or construction zone | Enhanced penalties, often with increased fines. | Common in Broussard given the US 90 to I-49 work zones. Worth fighting. |
If your ticket was in a school zone, see school-zone speeding penalties. Excessive speed can be charged as reckless operation under RS 14:99, which is a criminal matter, not a simple fine.
Louisiana does not use a driver’s license point system, which is exactly why speeding tickets are underestimated. There are no points to watch, so drivers pay and move on. Meanwhile the conviction is reported for three years, and your insurer treats it as a reason to raise your premium. On a clean record, one ticket can add hundreds of dollars a year, so the real cost of a $180 ticket is often four or five times that once the insurance surcharge is counted.
A speeding charge rests entirely on how your speed was measured, and each method has requirements and weaknesses.
These units must be certified and calibrated on a schedule, and the officer must be trained on them. We request the calibration and certification records and look for gaps. Heavy traffic on US 90 and the Ambassador Caffery corridor can also affect a reading.
When an officer follows and estimates your speed from the patrol car, reliability depends on distance, timing, and the officer’s own speedometer calibration. Pacing is often the softest evidence in the file.
In the US 90 to I-49 construction areas, posted limits change often and signage is not always clear. Whether the reduced limit was properly posted where you were stopped is a fair question, and sometimes a defense.
The most common win is a negotiated reduction. Getting the charge knocked down to a non-moving violation means no conviction your insurer can surcharge, which is usually the whole goal.
Where the radar records are missing, the work-zone limit was not properly posted, or the stop does not hold up, that is leverage toward a dismissal or a better offer.
Where a reduction is not available, articles 894 and 892 can keep a plea from becoming a conviction on your record. For most Broussard cases, we appear in court for you, so you never have to take off work.
Two situations need extra care. If you hold a CDL, and many drivers on the US 90 freight corridor do, a speeding ticket of 15 mph or more over is a serious violation that can stack toward a disqualification, and you cannot hide it with the tools regular drivers use. And if you were arrested for DWI, that is not a city-court matter at all, it is a criminal charge that goes to the district court. See our Lafayette DWI page and criminal defense page if that is what you are facing.
US 90 carries traffic between Lafayette, New Iberia, and the coast, so a large share of Broussard tickets go to people who do not live there and do not want to drive back for court. You usually do not have to. We can enter as your attorney and appear for you, whether the case is in the Broussard Magistrate Court or a district court. Send us the ticket and we handle it from here.
Save money on the fine and the three-year insurance surcharge a conviction brings.
Save time because we appear at the Broussard court or the district court for you.
Protect your record so one ticket does not stack toward a suspended license or, for CDL holders, a disqualification.
Send us your ticket for a free consultation. We will tell you which court it belongs in and whether we can get it reduced or dismissed, before you decide anything. You can also read more about speeding ticket defense, our Lafayette traffic work, or the courts we serve.
Between myself and my family, we keep Heather busy! She is very professional and knowledgeable. I have spent a lot of money and ruined my driving record paying off speeding tickets but when I found Heather, I found that she is the best
My experience with the Law Office of Heather C. Ford was outstanding. I would recommend this team to anyone that has received a traffic ticket in the metro New Orleans area....
I found Heather online after searching for a traffic lawyer. Since I am not from the area, I was not 100% sure but went with my gut after reading the positive comments. And I was right! I am really pleased with Heather Ford's...
I was thrilled when Heather was able to get my ticket reduced to a non-moving violation and the judge waived fees. I never thought that was possible. I was certain I'd have to pay something. She's great...
Ms. Ford is all that I could ask for in an advocate.
My experience has been as pleasurable as can be expected when you need a lawyer.
It depends on who wrote it and where. A ticket from Broussard city police inside the city limits goes to the Broussard Magistrate Court. A ticket from the Sheriff or State Police goes to the district court, the 15th JDC in Lafayette on the Lafayette Parish side or the 16th JDC in St. Martinville on the St. Martin Parish side. We handle all three.
Broussard sits in both Lafayette and St. Martin parishes, so the same city can feed two different district courts. Getting the right court from the start avoids missed dates and wasted trips, and it is one of the first things we sort out.
Yes, and work-zone tickets are worth fighting. Posted limits shift constantly in the US 90 to I-49 project, and whether the reduced limit was properly posted where you were stopped can be a real defense.
Usually yes. Because Louisiana has no points, drivers assume a small overage is harmless, but any speeding conviction can raise your insurance for three years. A reduction to a non-moving violation often saves far more than our fee.
Yes. Speeding 15 mph or more over is a serious violation for CDL holders, and you cannot use traffic school or an 894 deferral to hide it. Fighting the charge is the only reliable way to protect your commercial record.
For most speeding cases, no. We can appear at the Broussard Magistrate Court or the district court on your behalf.
In most cases, no. US 90 traffic means many tickets go to out-of-town drivers, and we can appear for you so you do not have to make the trip.
