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The Louisiana criminal charge of Flight from an Officer occurs when the driver of a motor vehicle or operator of a watercraft shall intentionally refuses to bring a vehicle or watercraft to a stop knowing that he has been given a visual and audible signal to stop by a police officer when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the driver has committed an offense. The signal shall be given by an emergency light and a siren on a vehicle marked as a police vehicle or marked police watercraft.
Getting arrested can be one of the most troubling, terrifying, and anxiety-inducing experiences in someone’s life. However, those feelings can be even worsened if further mistakes are made like trying to escape arrest and evading an officer while being arrested. Being charged with a crime can bring an immense emotional and mental toll on a person and being charged with flight from an officer after the original crime will worsen that toll as well as tack on extra penalties and punishments that will detrimentally hurt your future and the future of your loved ones and those around you. If you have recently been charged with flight from an officer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we highly recommend you seek legal assistance immediately. Carl Barkemeyer, criminal defense attorney has been working on and defending flight from officer cases in the Baton Rouge area for many years and has extensive experience working on these types of cases. Mr. Barkemeyer and his team of lawyers can help craft a defense for you that could possibly help you attain lesser penalties or sometimes even being found innocent of the charges altogether. It is extremely important to seek out legal assistance as soon as possible so that your charges can be studied and all the evidence can be observed to help find a way to create your defense case in court. Flight from an officer charges are very serious and should not be handled without the help of an accomplished criminal defense attorney like Carl Barkemeyer.
There are many different variations of flight from an officer charges across the nation. However, Louisiana’s criminal charge of Flight from an Officer occurs when the driver of a motor vehicle or operator of a watercraft intentionally refuses to bring that vehicle or watercraft to a stop knowing that they have been given a visual and audible signal to stop by a police officer when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the driver has committed an offense. This signal that is mentioned shall be given by an emergency light and a siren on a vehicle marked as a police vehicle or marked police watercraft. One of the most common examples of flight from an officer charges in Louisiana occurs when someone gets pulled over by a police officer for a traffic stop using lights and/or sirens. The reason for this traffic stop can be anything from speeding, to running a red light, to dangerous lane changes, or a wide variety of other offenses. However, if the offender doesn’t pull over for the traffic stop after being notified by the lights or sirens, then they can be charged with flight from an officer. There is another type of flight from an officer charge called aggravated flight from an officer which includes putting other peoples’ lives into danger, but that will be discussed more in-depth in its own article.
Being charged with flight from an officer in Louisiana brings quite serious punishments along with it and should not be taken lightly. Any amount of jail time as a result of a criminal charge can have a very negative impact on your quality of life and can hurt your future opportunities including employment and applying for school. The penalties for being charged with flight from an officer in Baton Rouge are as follows:
- Whoever commits the crime of flight from an officer shall be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
A fine of $500 can be a very large and unexpected expense for many people and could be out of reach in certain financial situations. This fine alone can cause many problems for those being charged. However, a possible prison sentence of up to 6 months added on to this fine will also be a very strict punishment towards those charged. These penalties will go on to your permanent criminal record and will leave a lasting effect on you and those around you. The punishment for flight from an officer should not be taken lightly, and if you are charged with the aggravated version of flight from an officer then the punishments are even more severe with longer jail times. This just goes to show that trying to avoid arrest is never a good idea and compliance with arresting officers is always important for your future court trials, no matter the original charges.
The first step towards fighting a flight from officer charge in Louisiana is to contact legal assistance immediately so a case can start to be drafted in your defense. It is important that every aspect of the case is looked at and every piece of evidence is observed carefully to determine how the defense can be crafted. Sometimes a case can be made that the officer was not heard or seen which can make a huge difference in trying to defend against flight from an officer charge. Carl Barkemeyer, criminal defense attorney has extensive experience with defending those charged with flight from an officer in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana. Mr. Barkemeyer has a strong understanding of the Louisiana legal system and will be able to help you craft a defense case to aid in your fight for freedom during the court trial. It is imperative that you find legal help as soon as possible so that your case stands the best chance of being defended in court when facing flight from an officer charges. If you have recently been arrested for flight from an officer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contact us immediately at 225-964-6720.
The common example of Flight from an Officer is when a police officer attempts to make a traffic stop because he believed the driver has committed an offense, whether it be speeding, improper lane usage, or any other type of traffic violation or crime. The police officer then notifies the driver with his emergency lights and sirens. However, the driver intentionally refuses to stop after receiving the notice.
Flight from an Officer in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana is a misdemeanor charge punishable by imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine of $150-500. Flight from an Officer becomes the felony charge of Aggravated Flight From an Officer when human life is endangered.
If you need a Flight from an Officer defense attorney in Baton Rouge or anywhere else in Louisiana, contact us at 225-964-6720. We provide legal defense to clients with this charge in various cities and parishes such as East and West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Gonzales, Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Covington, Orleans, and Jefferson.
H. Taylor - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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