Alexandria, LA Criminal Defense Lawyer

Trusted Criminal Defense Lawyer in Alexandria, LA

An Alexandria Criminal Defense Attorney Who Has Tried Life-Sentence Cases

A criminal charge in Alexandria can undo a job, a lease, or a custody arrangement long before anyone decides guilt or innocence. Employers ask questions. Landlords pull back offers. Family court judges take notice. Every week that passes without a plan makes those problems harder to undo.

Christopher K. LaCour, founder of LaCour Law Firm, LLC, has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 2010. He later took on work as a public defender assigned only to cases carrying a possible life sentence, the most serious caseload in the state’s indigent defense system.

That background is why people across Rapides Parish call our Alexandria criminal defense lawyer team first, whether the charge is a first-time misdemeanor or a second-degree murder allegation.

We build the same kind of defense today, case by case, that we once built for clients who had nowhere else to turn, from an office a few miles from the Rapides Parish Courthouse. Before you say anything else to police or a prosecutor, talk with our team about what comes next.

What Makes Our Alexandria Criminal Defense Attorney Different

Alexandria, Louisiana, sits at the heart of Rapides Parish and is no stranger to criminal charges, many of them property crimes rather than crimes against people. Most of what happens in a criminal case never makes it into a courtroom, which is why the attorney you choose matters before a single hearing is set. A few facts set our approach apart.

• Christopher K. LaCour has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 2010
• Avvo’s attorney directory lists him as eligible to practice law in Louisiana with no history of misconduct.
• He served as lead trial and appellate counsel in a 2004 cold-case second-degree murder prosecution that drew national coverage from NBC News Dateline, and the conviction was affirmed by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal in December 2023.
• During that trial’s opening statement, he told the jury directly that “belief is not proof,” a standard he holds prosecutors to in every case he takes.
• One former client wrote that he was “very professional and productive” after LaCour got an assault charge against him thrown out entirely. Individual results may vary.

That combination, a public defender’s background on the most serious cases the state hands out, plus real trial experience in Rapides Parish courtrooms, is what a person facing a felony in Alexandria needs behind them.

Criminal Charges Our Criminal Defense Lawyer Handles in Alexandria

We built this page as a starting point, not a full breakdown of every charge. Each link below leads to a page dedicated to that specific charge, its penalties under Louisiana law, and the defenses we use against it.

• Domestic violence charges, including domestic abuse battery and how these charges can affect custody cases
• Drug crime charges, from simple possession to trafficking and distribution
• DWI charges, for first-time arrests and repeat offenses alike
• Theft, burglary, and robbery charges, whether it is shoplifting or an armed offense
• Violent crime charges, including murder, assault and battery, and kidnapping
• Gun crime charges, in both state and federal court
• White collar charges, such as fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement
• Federal crime charges, when a case is prosecuted outside state court
• Probation violations and juvenile charges, including cases involving minors

Each of those pages goes deeper into penalties, procedure, and defense strategy for that specific charge. What stays the same across every one of them is the attorney building your defense and the Rapides Parish courtroom where it gets decided.

What Happens After a Criminal Conviction in Alexandria?

Louisiana does not go easy on convicted defendants, and the consequences reach well beyond a court date. A conviction can mean jail time, probation, and steep fines, along with the loss of certain rights, like the right to vote or to own and carry a firearm. It can also mean a permanent criminal record that follows you through job applications and housing searches for years.

Some charges carry consequences that go even further.

Louisiana law defines second-degree murder as killing another person with the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm, or while committing certain other violent felonies. Anyone convicted faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor, with no chance of parole, probation, or a suspended sentence, under La. R.S. 14:30.1. There is no judge’s discretion built into that sentence. It is the floor and the ceiling at the same time.

DWI charges carry their own real stakes. In Louisiana, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher if you are 21 or older. The legal limit is lower for other drivers: 0.04% for commercial drivers and 0.02% for drivers under 21. Potential penalties also escalate sharply with each repeat offense.

Whatever the charge, the honest question is not whether a conviction carries a penalty. It is how much of that penalty can still be avoided.

How We Build Your Defense From Arrest to Trial in the 9th Judicial District

Every case gets the same disciplined process, adjusted for the facts in front of us.

1. We move immediately after arrest. Louisiana law requires that an arrested person be brought before a judge for the appointment of counsel within roughly 72 hours, and we work to get involved during that window, not after it closes.
2. We reinvestigate the state’s case from scratch. That means pulling police reports, body camera footage, and witness statements ourselves rather than relying on the narrative in the arrest report.
3. We test eyewitness identifications and physical evidence. In one Rapides Parish murder trial, our founder challenged an eyewitness who could only describe a suspect’s nose and lips, a tactic that comes directly from years of cross-examining weak identification testimony.
4. We negotiate directly with the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s office when a reduced charge, diversion, or alternative sentence genuinely serves the client better than a trial.
5. We prepare every file as if it is going in front of a 9th Judicial District Court jury, because a prosecutor who knows you are trial-ready negotiates differently than one who assumes you will fold.

That last point matters more than it sounds. A defense lawyer who has never picked a jury has less leverage at the negotiating table than one who has, and our founder has done both in cases where the charge was as serious as it gets.

Where Your Case Will Be Heard: Rapides Parish Courthouse and Local Courts

Most felony and serious misdemeanor cases arising in Alexandria are heard at the Rapides Parish Courthouse, located at 701 Murray Street in Alexandria, home to the 9th Judicial District Court.

The 9th JDC has three criminal divisions and handles everything from the setting of bail and probable cause hearings through arraignment, pretrial motions, and jury trials for felonies committed anywhere in Rapides Parish.

Lower-level municipal offenses in the city itself typically start in Alexandria City Court, while offenses arising in Pineville are handled through Pineville City Court.

Knowing which court has jurisdiction over your charge, and which of the 9th JDC’s divisions it lands in, affects everything from your bail hearing date to which prosecutor is assigned to your file. Our founder grew up in Alexandria and has spent his career working these same courtrooms, which shapes how quickly we can move once a case is filed.

Common Questions After an Arrest in Alexandria, LA

Do I need a lawyer if I have only been arrested and not formally charged yet?

Yes. Louisiana law generally requires you to be brought before a judge within about 72 hours of arrest, and decisions made in that window, including what you say to investigators, can shape the rest of your case. Getting a lawyer involved before charges are filed gives you more options, not fewer.

What happens at my first court appearance in Rapides Parish?

Most defendants first appear before a judge at the Rapides Parish Courthouse for the appointment of counsel and a bail determination. This is not the time to explain your side of the story. It is the time to have a lawyer present who can protect your rights on the record.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Louisiana?

Cost depends on the charge, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, and how much investigation and motion work the case requires. We do not offer free consultations, but we can walk you through fees upfront before you commit to anything.

Can a criminal charge in Alexandria be reduced or dismissed?

It depends on the evidence, the charge, and how early a lawyer gets involved. Weak eyewitness identification, procedural errors, or a cooperative negotiation with the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s office can sometimes lead to a reduced charge or dismissal, though every case is different.

What is the difference between Alexandria City Court and the Rapides Parish Courthouse?

Alexandria City Court generally handles lower-level municipal offenses committed within city limits, while more serious misdemeanors and all felonies go through the 9th Judicial District Court at the Rapides Parish Courthouse on Murray Street. Which court your case lands in affects the procedure and the prosecutor you will face.

Will a criminal conviction in Louisiana stay on my record permanently?

Some convictions can eventually be expunged under Louisiana law, but eligibility depends on the offense and how much time has passed. Serious violent felonies, including murder convictions, generally cannot be expunged at all, which is one more reason to fight the charge itself rather than plan around a later cleanup.

What happens if my child is arrested in Alexandria?

Juvenile cases move through a separate process, often with different courtrooms and different possible outcomes than adult court, including diversion programs in some circumstances. An attorney familiar with how the 9th Judicial District Court’s juvenile division operates can make the difference between a lasting record and a second chance.

Contact an Experienced Alexandria Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

If you or someone you love has been arrested or charged with a crime in Alexandria or anywhere in Rapides Parish, waiting to get a lawyer involved rarely helps your case and often hurts it.

Our founder has taken the most serious charges Louisiana law allows all the way to a jury, and that same preparation goes into every case we accept, no matter the charge. Contact us today to talk through what you’re facing and what comes next.