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We all make mistakes, but for some make choices and big mistakes that end up in an arrest. Data compiled by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration and the Administration of Criminal Justice shows that approximately 23,000 people were arrested for violent crimes and over 165,000 people were arrested for nonviolent crimes in Louisiana. If you are one of the thousands of individuals arrested for a crime, you have the right to defends yourself and fight the charges you are facing.
Following are four of the most common crimes in Louisiana:
About 30 percent of inmates in Louisiana jails are there because of drug crimes, but when you factor in drug-related offenses such as larceny and burglary, the rate of incarceration for drug offenses jumps to 70 percent, according to the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 52 percent of drug arrests in the U.S. in 2010 were for marijuana, and most arrests didn’t involve dealers, they involved minor possession of marijuana. Even though some states are moving towards decriminalization of marijuana, Louisiana is not which means a person can spend time behind bars for minor possession of pot.
Penalties for minor possession of marijuana in Louisiana
Possession of 14 g or less (first offense)- 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.
Possession of more than 14 g but less than 2.5 lbs. (first offense)-Six months in jail and a $500 fine.
To learn more about the state’s marijuana laws, Louisiana Rev. Stat. § 40:966(E), visit http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=98880.
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