New Orleans is known worldwide as the birthplace of jazz and the location of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations. New Orleans brings in tourists from around the world to visit music halls, sports events, universities, and business conferences. All of these events and entertainment are often accompanied by partying. Some of this partying can include cocktails and bawdy behavior. If this behavior goes too far and becomes more vulgar, it can result in legal intervention including New Orleans lewd conduct charges.
If you have received a ticket in New Orleans for lewd contact, it is in your best interests to contact an attorney that specializes in this area and can assist with your case.
Lewd Conduct is a type of crime that can be detrimental to your reputation. Obviously, this could have impacts on critical decisions in life including attaining a job, applying for college or a professional license, or buying a home. Additionally, lewd conduct charges result in high fines and community service requirements. The sooner you contact an attorney that is familiar with these laws, the more positive your outcome may be.
There are some details pertaining to New Orleans Lewd Conduct laws that are different from other cities. It is crucial to know these differentiating factors as they are more serious and can impact you and your case.
Under New Orleans law, lewd conduct is unlawful. According to the New Orleans Municipal Code Sec. 54-254,Lewd Conduct Is defined as certain conduct in a public place including exposing genitals, sexual intercourse, masturbation, urination, or defecation. Violation of these laws will result in a fine of at least $100 and 30 hours or more of community service cleanup.
Unlike other cities, public urination in New Orleans is charged as a misdemeanor, rather than an infraction, and consequentially has a more serious charge. Furthermore, the misdemeanor will remain on your record unless you attempt to get it expunged.
Additionally, New Orleans hosts many large attractions that invite this type of behavior. These types of events attract police officers who are monitoring for lewd conduct violations.
After receiving a lewd conduct charge, you may either be arrested and taken to jail or subsequently receive a summons to appear in court. We highly encourage individuals that have received a lewd conduct charge to contact an attorney who can help them through the court process. This can be confusing and require you to monitor dates and understand the penalties and court procedures. Typically, you will receive an arraignment date where you will indicate whether you are guilty or not guilty. An attorney can also help you determine what plea would be most beneficial in your case. You may then have a trial.
If you don’t live in Louisiana, it can be even more important to consult with an attorney. Typically, there would be many court cases that you would need to attend. However, sometimes in these types of criminal cases, the attorney can go to court on behalf of his or her client. Obviously, if you are out-of-state, it is not convenient to have to travel back for court cases. As such, consulting with an attorney who can attend on your behalf can be highly beneficial.
In addition to monetary fines and community service requirements, there is the potential for you to be required to register as a sex offender if you have certain lewd conduct charges. Working with an experienced attorney can result in having your case either dismissed or have your charges significantly reduced resulting in lesser fines and court costs.
If you already have a lewd conduct charge, our team has significant experience with helping individuals get your conviction “expunged” or essentially “erased from public view.” This will assist with the risk of this issue impacting your future opportunities. Additionally, when you work through having your crime expunged, it should not be available on background checks.
We recommend starting this process as soon as possible as this process will take time and this can help “clean” your record as quickly as possible.
As you can see, lewd conduct offenses can carry a series of unfortunate consequences including monetary fines, time commitments through community service, and hurt reputation. Consulting an experienced attorney can help with each of these three areas from reducing fees, lowering community service, and rebuilding your reputation through expungement from your records. The sooner you work with an attorney the more likely it will be that you will get your record cleared and fees lowered.
The Law Office of Heather C. Ford will give you peace of mind in your lewd conduct case. She will professionally and effectively represent you on your behalf in front of any prosecutors or judges. Trust that your case will be handled with your best interests in mind.
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We are committed to making the legal process as quick and efficient as possible for every client. If you have received lewd conduct charges in New Orleans, Contact our office immediately to schedule a consultation.
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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....
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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...
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There are many actions that, when conducted in a public place, could be considered lewd conduct in Louisiana. Some of these actions include: Exposing genitals Sexual intercourse Masturbation urination, or defecation
Is lewd conduct a felony in Louisiana?
Lewd conduct is almost always a misdemeanor charge in Louisiana. In other states, some of these actions may be considered an infraction, but in Louisiana they are misdemeanors.
In New Orleans, getting charged with lewd conduct will not likely result in jail time. For the most part, a conviction for lewd conduct will result in fines and required community service.
