Crime Related News
New Louisiana Bill Aims to Create the Crime of Unlawful Storage of a Firearm
March 12, 2013
New Orleans Weapons Crimes Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter — Weapons and Gun Defense Attorney
The Louisiana News Bureau has just announced a proposed bill that aims to create the crime of unlawful storage of a firearm. This is House Bill 4 by Rep Norton.The proposed law provides that it is unlawful to keep or store a firearm unless it is in a locked container or is equipped with a lock to render the firearm inoperable.
The law proposes the following penalties:
First violation of a fine of not more than $300.
Second or subsequent violation of a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
Proposed law creates an exception if the firearm is on the person or is in use.
With all due respect to Rep. Norton, I think that this is the most ridiculous piece of legislation. I would like to understand the purpose of it. Will this make the public safer? In light of the recent gun related tragedies in Colorado and Connecticut, I think that we are going to see a lot of proposed frivolous legislation such as this. Again, I think that this in a legislative intent to fix a symptom instead of a problem. What was the real issue in the recent massacres in Co. and Ct? The lack of sufficient funding and options for mental health treatment in this country.
If you have been accused of a gun or weapons crime in the New Orleans area, contact Elizabeth B. Carpenter to schedule a consultation. We are ready to take action and stand by your side.
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New Bill Would Eradicate Mandatory Minimum Sentences For Marijuana Possession In Louisiana
March 12, 2013
New Orleans Drug Crimes Defense Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter Law — New Orleans Marijuana Defense Attorney
Serving Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. John, Baton Rouge, St. Charles, Plaquemines Parishes.
New Bill Would Eradicate Mandatory Minimum Sentences For
Marijuana Possession In Louisiana
Both the Louisiana House and Senate will reconvene for the 2013 Legislative Session in April 8, 2013. As an attorney, I subscribe to email alerts regarding legislative news. This evening I was thrilled to see a proposed bill that would eradicate mandatory minimum sentences for Marijuana Possession.
This bill is House Bill 103, sponsored by state Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans. The proposed bill will lessen penalties for repeat offenders and not subject offenders to Louisiana’s Habitual Offender Law (RS La 15:529.1). This new law would also apply to synthetic cannabinoids.
I am actually opposed to the legalization of synthetic cannabinoids due to the severe health complications associated with its use. Of course, complete legalization of Marijuana would obliterate the demand for synthetic cannabinoids.
As a final thought, I think that Representative Badon is going to have a battle to fight in Baton Rouge over this new bill. The state and local governments as well as substance abuse clinics love the money that they can extort out of people who are found guilty of Marijuana Possession.
The following is a chart demonstrating the proposed changes to the law:
If you or a loved one has been charged with a Marijuana Offense in New Orleans area. Contact a New Orleans Drug Crime Attorney – Elizabeth B. Carpenter. We offer discounted fee for Marijuana Offenses!
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for 12/29/2012
December 28, 2012
Jefferson Parish DWI DUI Defense Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. — DWI DUI Attorney New Orleans
Serving DWI DUI Clients In Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, New Orleans, LaPlace, Hammond, Mandeville and Covington!
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Saturday Night Harahan
The Harahan Police Department has announced a DWI checkpoint for motorists in an undisclosed location within the city limits on Saturday night. The checkpoint is scheduled for 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to Police Chief Mac Dickinson.
The checkpoint is part of the department’s efforts to curb drunk driving and related injuries and fatalities inHarahan. Dickinson said officer overtime for the checkpoint is being paid for through a grant from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
ABOUT ATTORNEY ELIZABETH B. CARPENTER
Elizabeth B. Carpenter has completed courses on NHTSA DWI Detection and Field Sobriety Testing and the breath testing machine known as the Intoxilyzer 5000. These are the same courses law enforcement must take when training. This level of dedication to her practice helps her challenge the common errors that police officers make during a DWI arrest.
For more information about attorney Elizabeth B. Carpenter see her criminal defense website and her New Orleans Criminal Defense Attorney Blog. Ms. Carpenter is a skilled criminal attorney who can also be followed on Facebook.
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. is an experienced New Orleans criminal defense attorney. She received her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Law School, and is a member and supporter of theLouisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her law offices have successfully represented clients in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. John, St. Tammany and St. Charles Parishes. Carpenter’s mission is to provide clients with exceptional, personalized, and professional service.
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Tonight 12/14/2012
December 14, 2012
Orleans Parish DWI DUI Defense Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. — DWI DUI Attorney New Orleans
Serving DWI DUI Clients In Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, New Orleans, LaPlace, Hammond, Mandeville and Covington!
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Friday Night Orleans Parish
The New Orleans Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Friday 12/14/2012 night in Orleans Parish, the department said in a statement.
The checkpoint will start at 9 p.m. and go until 5 a.m., police said. Drivers are advised to expect some minimal delays and should carry proper documentation including a driver’s license and proof of insurance, the statement said.
ABOUT ATTORNEY ELIZABETH B. CARPENTER
Elizabeth B. Carpenter has completed courses on NHTSA DWI Detection and Field Sobriety Testing and the breath testing machine known as the Intoxilyzer 5000. These are the same courses law enforcement must take when training. This level of dedication to her practice helps her challenge the common errors that police officers make during a DWI arrest.
For more information about attorney Elizabeth B. Carpenter see her criminal defense website and her New Orleans Criminal Defense Attorney Blog. Ms. Carpenter is a skilled criminal attorney who can also be followed on Facebook.
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. is an experienced New Orleans criminal defense attorney. She received her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Law School, and is a member and supporter of theLouisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her law offices have successfully represented clients in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. John, St. Tammany and St. Charles Parishes. Carpenter’s mission is to provide clients with exceptional, personalized, and professional service.
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Tonight 12/6/2012 — Orleans Parish
December 6, 2012
Orleans Parish DWI DUI Defense Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. — DWI DUI Attorney New Orleans
Serving DWI DUI Clients In Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, New Orleans, LaPlace, Hammond, Mandeville and Covington!
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Thursday Night Orleans Parish
The New Orleans Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Thursday night in Orleans Parish, the department said in a statement.
The checkpoint will start at 9 p.m. and go until 5 a.m., police said. Drivers are advised to expect some minimal delays and should carry proper documentation including a driver’s license and proof of insurance, the statement said.
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Saturday Night Jefferson Parish
November 16, 2012
Jefferson Parish DWI DUI Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. — DWI DUI Attorney New Orleans
Serving DWI DUI Clients In Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, New Orleans, LaPlace, Hammond, Mandeville and Covington!
DWI Checkpoint Scheduled for Saturday 11/17/2012 in West Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office’s deputies will be on the prowl Saturday night looking for drunk drivers on the West Bank. Deputies will set up DWI checkpoint for motorists at an undisclosed location between 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to Col. John Fortunato, spokesman for the department.
The checkpoint is part of the sheriff’s office effort to prevent alcohol-related injuries and fatalities. Fortunato said intoxicated drivers will be arrested.
He reminded motorists not to drive while under the influence of alcohol or any other substance that could lead to impairment. Drivers and all vehicle occupants are also reminded to buckle-up.
ABOUT ATTORNEY ELIZABETH B. CARPENTER
Elizabeth B. Carpenter has completed courses on NHTSA DWI Detection and Field Sobriety Testing and the breath testing machine known as the Intoxilyzer 5000. These are the same courses law enforcement must take when training. This level of dedication to her practice helps her challenge the common errors that police officers make during a DWI arrest.
For more information about attorney Elizabeth B. Carpenter see her criminal defense website and her New Orleans Criminal Defense Attorney Blog. Ms. Carpenter is a skilled criminal attorney who can also be followed on Facebook.
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. is an experienced New Orleans criminal defense attorney. She received her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Law School, and is a member and supporter of theLouisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Her law offices have successfully represented clients in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. John, St. Tammany and St. Charles Parishes. Carpenter’s mission is to provide clients with exceptional, personalized, and professional service.
Synthetic Drug 25I: A New Schedule I Drug
November 13, 2012
New Orleans Drug Charge Attorney
By Elizabeth B Carpenter — Drug Crime Defense Attorney New Orleans
Elizabeth B Carpenter Law is one of the premiers law firms for Drug Crime defense. We have defended almost every type of Drug Crime imaginable in South Louisiana. If you are in need of a New Orleans drug crime attorney, contact our office today.
Synthetic Drug 25I: A New Schedule I Drug
State health officials, top lawmakers and law enforcement personnel announce steps they have taken to ban a dangerous new drug, 25i, making it illegal in Louisiana.
This relatively new drug, 25i, also called Smiles or N-Bomb, has been added to the state’s Controlled Dangerous Substance Act, effective immediately. It is classified as a Controlled Dangerous Substance — Schedule I.
Simple Possession of 25I will carry a sentence of 4 to 10 years.
Manufacturing and Distribution of 25I will carry a sentence of 5 to 50 years.
Lawmakers began eyeing criminalizing the drug after an Arkansas man died last week in New Orleans after reportedly overdosing on 25i at a festival.
At least five people have died nationwide this year after taking 25i, including the man who died in Louisiana, according to officials. Other deaths reportedly occurred in Minnesota, North Dakota, California and North Carolina. Today, Louisiana becomes the second state, along with Virginia, to make 25i illegal.
Louisiana revised statute 40:962, gives State Health Officials authority to add new compounds as a Schedule I drug in the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act by rule if the substance has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in the U.S., and if there is no accepted safety use of the substance under medical supervision.
Officials said the synthetic drug is commonly manufactured in China and India, and is being sold in powder and liquid form online, which is how people access it in the United States.
Elizabeth B Carpenter — New Orleans Criminal Defense Attorney
New Orleans Criminal Defense Lawyer Elizabeth Carpenter Speaks at the NOPA Annual Educational Seminar on Cyber Crimes
November 1, 2012
New Orleans Cyber Crimes Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter Law is uniquely qualified to defend clients who have been accused of a Cyber Crimes in New Orleans area. We have represented countless clients in Louisiana Cyber Crimes ranging from Internet Fraud to Child Pornography Offenses. Our knowledge of the law and experience in Computer Crimes Defense gives us the skill you need to effectively challenge the allegations made against you.
New Orleans Criminal Defense Lawyer Elizabeth Carpenter
Speaks at the NOPA Annual Educational Seminar on Cyber Crimes
Elizabeth Carpenter, Esq., a New Orleans cyber crime attorney experienced in sex crime defense, spoke at NOPA’s Annual Educational Seminar on October 26, 2012 about digital forensics and defense in cyber crimes cases.
New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) October 31, 2012
New Orleans criminal defense attorney Elizabeth Carpenter spoke last Friday in a session titled Cyber Crimes: Digital Forensics and Defense at the Annual Education Seminar in New Orleans, a continuing education seminar organized by the New Orleans Paralegal Association (NOPA).
Sex crimes defense requires a very specific defense strategy backed by extensive investigation and trial preparation—something that not all defense attorneys have a background for. NOPA asked Carpenter to speak at their Annual Education Seminar because she has undergone training in Forensics and DNA Evidence at the National Institute of Justice and the DNA Initiative Project, and because she has extensive experience as a New Orleans child pornography defense attorney and cyber crimes attorney.
Not all defense attorneys are willing or equipped to defend Internet crimes, explained Carpenter. “To form an Internet crimes defense in New Orleans, your attorney has to be familiar with the technology in question. If you’re arrested or served with a search warrant for child pornography or other cyber crimes, a computer forensic technician will go through the hard drive of your computer and write up a forensic report. If your attorney doesn’t know how to read the more technical parts of those reports, they won’t be able to form a strong defense.”
The penalties for cyber crime offenses in Louisiana are severe. The sentencing guidelines for even a first-time offender require a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years and a possible maximum of 10 years without parole per count, along with a fine of up to $10,000. Furthermore, anyone convicted of a child pornography-related cyber crime must register as a sex offender, a requirement that can lead to loss of employment, estrangement from family, and even difficulty finding housing.
“A cyber crime charge is not something that is easy to face,” said Carpenter, “both because of the technical aspects of cases such as these and because of the stigma attached to Internet crimes. It’s important to have someone representing you who is familiar with the procedures involved, and it’s also important to have an attorney who is on your side. My job as a cyber crimes defense attorney isn’t to judge you—it’s to use my experience to protect your rights and preserve your freedom.”
Contact
Are you under investigation for or have you been charged with a cyber crime in New Orleans? Contact Elizabeth B Carpenter, a New Orleans Cyber Crimes Defense Attorney at our firm for a consultation about your case today! Available 24/7 at 504-599-5955!
Are you facing criminal charges related to internet child porn?
Child pornography is a serious criminal offense that can be charged in either Federal or State court. This sex crime is punishable by prison, fines and sex offender registration. A New Orleans child pornography defense attorney can help you avoid these penalties by offering you legal guidance and representation regarding your charges.
For more information about child pornography defense visit our dedicated web page focused exclusively to child pornography defense. Available 24/7 at 504-599-5955!
Court Says Child Porn Victims Can Get Restitution — New Orleans Child Pornography Attorney
October 31, 2012
New Orleans Child Pornography Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter Law is uniquely qualified to defend clients who have been accused of a child pornography offense in New Orleans area. We have represented countless clients in child pornography cases in Louisiana. Some of the specific types of cases we address include the possession, production, possession, distribution or sale of child pornography in New Orleans. Our knowledge of the law and experience in child pornography defense gives us the skill you need to effectively challenge the allegations made against you.
Court Says Child Porn Victims Can Get Restitution
Child pornography victims can recover money from people convicted of viewing their abuse without having to show a link between the crime and their injuries, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.
The decision conflicts with rulings by several other federal circuits, possibly setting the stage for a Supreme Court challenge.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a woman, identified as “Amy” in court documents, was entitled to restitution from Texas resident Doyle Randall Paroline and New Orleans resident Michael Wright, both of whom pleaded guilty in separate cases to possessing child pornography that included images of Amy.
Amy sought more than $3.3 million from Paroline to cover the cost of her lost income, attorneys’ fees and psychological care. A federal judge rejected her request.
Amy also sought more than $3.3 million from Wright, who had images of Amy and at least 20 other identifiable children stored on his computer. A federal judge ruled Wright owed Amy more than $500,000.
Wright argued he didn’t owe Amy any restitution because he didn’t obtain the images until years after she was abused. He also said there wasn’t any evidence that she knew he personally viewed the images.
Amy, now her early 20s and living in Pennsylvania, was a child when her uncle sexually abused her and widely circulated images of the abuse, according to court records. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it has found at least 35,000 images of Amy’s abuse in more than 3,200 child pornography cases since 1998.
In at least 174 cases, Amy has been awarded restitution in amounts ranging from $100 to more than $3.5 million. James Marsh, one of her attorneys, said in January that she had collected more than $1.5 million.
Nine of the 15 judges joined in the majority opinion written by Judge Emilio Garza. The opinion said a federal statute dictates that a child pornography victim be awarded restitution for the full amount of their losses in each defendant’s case.
“Fears over excessive punishment are misplaced,” Garza wrote. “… Ultimately, while the imposition of full restitution may appear harsh, it is not grossly disproportionate to the crime of receiving and possessing child pornography.”
“No other circuit that has addressed this issue has adopted such a one size fits all rule,” he wrote. “Other circuits have given the district courts discretion to assess the amount of the restitution the offender is ordered to pay.”
Stanley Schneider, one of Paroline’s attorneys, said they will ask the Supreme Court to review the ruling.
Contact
If you need a Child Pornography Defense Attorney in New Orleans, call attorney Elizabeth B. Carpenter at 504-599-5955 or email her to schedule a consultation. Early intervention by an experienced sex crime defense attorney can make a tremendous difference in your case. We are here to help you, not judge you.
United States Supreme Court Cases To Follow This Week — Criminal Defense Attorney New Orleans
October 29, 2012
By: Elizabeth B Carpenter
New Orleans Criminal Defense Attorney
Elizabeth B. Carpenter, Esq. — New Orleans Premiere Criminal Defense Attorney
Serving Clients in Orleans Parish, St. Tammany Parish, St. John Parish, St. James Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Plaquemines Parish and Jefferson Parish.
The following cases are being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this week:
BAILEY V. UNITED STATES
Can police officers may detain an individual incident to the execution of a search warrant when the individual has left the immediate vicinity of the premises before the warrant is executed.
CHAIDEZ V. UNITED STATES
In Padilla v. Kentucky, 130 S. Ct. 1473 (2010), this Court held that criminal defendants receive ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment when their attorneys fail to advise them that pleading guilty to an offense will subject them to deportation. The question presented is whether Padilla applies to persons whose convictions became final before its announcement.
FLORIDA V. JARDINES
Is a dog sniff at the front door of a suspected grow house by a trained narcotics detection dog is a Fourth Amendment search requiring probable cause?
FLORIDA V. HARRIS
Is an alert by a well-trained narcotics detection dog certified to detect illegal contraband insufficient to establish probable cause for the search of a vehicle?
