The Johnson Firm operates as a criminal defense practice in Lake Charles, serving clients across Calcasieu Parish and Southwest Louisiana. The firm has been around for over four decades, handling cases ranging from misdemeanor DWI charges to serious felony accusations like homicide and drug trafficking. Their practice focuses on Louisiana state court proceedings, with most cases moving through the 14th Judicial District Court that handles Calcasieu Parish criminal matters.

What sets their approach apart is the in-house private investigator they employ. This investigator previously served as Chief of Detectives and Head of Narcotics for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, bringing insider knowledge of how local law enforcement builds cases. They independently review police reports, gather evidence prosecutors might overlook, and subpoena officer records when needed to challenge witness credibility or expose investigative shortcuts.

The case types they handle span the full spectrum of criminal charges. DWI and drug offenses make up a significant portion of their caseload, which makes sense given Louisiana's strict penalties for impaired driving and controlled substance violations. They also defend clients facing violent crime charges like assault, battery, and homicide, where stakes include lengthy prison sentences or even life imprisonment in the most severe scenarios.

White collar criminal defense represents another specialty area. Fraud, embezzlement, and public corruption cases often involve complex financial records and federal agency involvement. These investigations tend to move quickly and threaten professional reputations beyond just criminal penalties. The firm works with forensic experts to analyze paper trails and challenge how prosecutors interpret financial transactions.

As a reviewer, I'd note their focus on sex crime defense and internet crime cases reflects modern prosecution trends. Cybercrime investigations frequently cross state lines and bring federal charges, while sex crime accusations carry devastating social consequences even before conviction. They emphasize protecting clients against public stigma during cases that can destroy careers regardless of trial outcomes.

The juvenile defense work follows Louisiana's separate court system for minors. Delinquency charges can affect a child's education access, college applications, and employment opportunities years later. Their approach emphasizes rehabilitation options and strategies to minimize long-term harm from mistakes made during adolescence rather than treating juveniles like adult offenders.

Their expungement services help clients clear past convictions from public records. Louisiana allows certain offenses to be removed from background checks, which can restore employment opportunities and housing access. The process involves specific eligibility requirements and court petitions, with approval depending on factors like offense severity, time elapsed, and subsequent criminal history.

The firm's understanding of local court dynamics comes from regular appearances in the same courthouse. They know how Calcasieu Parish prosecutors build cases, which judges handle specific docket sections, and what defense strategies tend to work in Lake Charles courtrooms. This local familiarity differs from firms that spread their practice across multiple parishes without developing concentrated expertise in one jurisdiction.

In my opinion, their emphasis on acting quickly matters because Louisiana's criminal procedure rules create tight timelines. DWI defendants have just 30 days to request administrative hearings to prevent automatic license suspension—a separate process from the criminal case itself. Missing that deadline means losing driving privileges regardless of how the criminal charges eventually resolve.

The team structure includes multiple attorneys with different backgrounds, from partners who've practiced for decades to newer lawyers handling various case types. This arrangement allows them to match attorney experience levels with case complexity while maintaining capacity to handle the volume of criminal cases that come through a general practice criminal defense firm in a mid-sized Louisiana city.

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