Experienced Domestic Violence Defense Attorney in Jonesville, LA
What a Jonesville Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer Wants You to Know First
A domestic abuse arrest does not wait for you to catch up. Your home, your kids, and your gun crime can change within days, sometimes hours. What happens next depends on how fast you move and who stands next to you when you do.
Christopher LaCour spent his early career as a public defender assigned only to clients facing life without parole, Louisiana’s most serious indigent caseload. He now works as a Jonesville domestic violence defense lawyer, and he has argued a case before the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. People in your position have walked out of that courtroom with their record and their family intact.
Tell us what happened and we will tell you exactly where your case stands and what you can still do about it.
| Licensed in Louisiana Since 2010 | Third Circuit Court of Appeal Experience | Former Public Defender, Life-Sentence Cases | Avvo: No Misconduct Found |
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The Domestic Violence Charges We Defend in Jonesville and Catahoula Parish
We defend people arrested for domestic violence throughout Jonesville, Harrisonburg, and Sicily Island. Our cases include:
- Domestic abuse battery: first offense and repeat charges under Louisiana’s domestic violence statute, S. 14:35.3.
- Domestic abuse aggravated assault: charges involving a weapon during a household dispute.
- Protective order violations: accusations that you went near someone a court ordered you to avoid.
- Battery of a dating partner: charges between people who never married or lived together.
- Firearm charges tied to a domestic case: possession charges after an earlier domestic conviction.
- Enhanced charges involving children: cases where a child was allegedly present.
What a Domestic Abuse Conviction Costs You
Louisiana treats domestic abuse battery differently than a regular fight. Under R.S. 14:35.3, a first conviction carries mandatory jail time, even if no one was badly hurt. At least forty eight hours must be served with no parole or suspended sentence. A conviction also triggers a firearm ban under R.S. 14:95.10, which can end a job in law enforcement, security, or the military. A protective order can remove you from your own home before your case is decided, and it can shape what a family court judge later decides about your kids. Employers who run background checks will see the conviction for years.
What Happens After a Domestic Abuse Arrest in Jonesville
Most domestic abuse arrests in Catahoula Parish move to a first court appearance within a few days. A judge can issue a protective order at that hearing without you present, and it can bar you from your own home right away. Your case is then handled through the Catahoula Parish Courthouse in Harrisonburg, part of the 7th Judicial District. Getting a lawyer involved before that first hearing gives you the best chance to challenge the order’s terms, instead of living under conditions a judge set without hearing your side.
Answers Jonesville Clients Ask Before Their First Court Date
Do I need a lawyer right away?
Yes. A protective order hearing can happen within days of your arrest, sometimes without you in the room. Having a lawyer involved before that hearing gives you a real chance to shape the outcome instead of reacting to conditions a judge already set.
Will a domestic abuse charge take away my gun rights?
A conviction under R.S. 14:35.3 triggers a firearm ban under R.S. 14:95.10, starting the moment the conviction is entered. Fighting the charge before conviction is the only way to protect that right.
Can I go back to my own house after the arrest?
Not automatically. A judge can order you to stay away from your home as a condition of release or under a protective order, even before trial. Once you have representation, we can ask the court to modify those terms.
Will this affect custody or visitation with my kids?
It can. A pending charge or protective order often shapes what a family court judge allows for visitation, before your criminal case is even resolved. We work to keep the criminal case from deciding your parenting time by default.
What if the other person wants to drop the charges?
The district attorney, not the accuser, decides whether a domestic abuse battery case moves forward. Prosecutors regularly continue these cases even when the person who called the police asks them to stop.
What does hiring a domestic violence defense lawyer cost?
Every case is different, and cost depends on the charge and how much work the defense requires. Christopher LaCour, admitted to the Louisiana Bar since 2010, offers a confidential consultation to review your charge before you commit to anything.
If your situation touches any of these questions, reach out and we will walk through what comes next together.
Talk to a Jonesville Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer Before Your Next Court Date
A domestic abuse case in Jonesville moves on its own schedule, and the terms set at your first hearing can follow you for months. Reach out now and tell us what happened. We will review your charge and start building your defense before the state gets further ahead.
