Kidnapping and False Imprisonment Crimes
It can be easy to confuse the terms kidnapping and false imprisonment, even using the two interchangeably. However, under Louisiana criminal statutes, the two are different.
The difficulty occurs when a party behaves in a certain way toward another party, not necessarily intending to commit a crime. However, due to the nature of false imprisonment, a party can nevertheless still be charged with a crime.
If you were charged with a false imprisonment or kidnapping crime, you may have lacked the intent to commit a crime or not known you were behaving criminally. It can be advantageous to work with an attorney to avoid the harsh penalties that can come with a kidnapping or false imprisonment conviction.
A false imprisonment and kidnapping criminal defense attorney will evaluate your case and determine the most effective defense strategy so you can secure the best possible outcome under the circumstances. Depending on the case facts, it could be possible to lessen your charges or have your charges dropped. Innocent people do get brought into the justice system through incomplete investigations and false accusations.
At the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams, LLC, our skilled and competent kidnapping and false imprisonment criminal defense attorney has represented many individuals charged with the most serious crimes.
For more information, contact the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams.
Louisiana False Imprisonment
Louisiana defines false imprisonment as intentionally restricting another person’s freedom, against their will or without proper legal authority, by confinement or detention.
Penalties can include a fine of up to $200, imprisonment for up to six months, or being fined and imprisoned.
Using a deadly weapon in the course of committing a false imprisonment crime would qualify for an enhancement of the charge. A conviction may come with penalties that can include imprisonment for up to ten years with or without hard labor.
Louisiana Kidnapping
Louisiana defines kidnapping as intentionally and forcibly taking or carrying a person from one location to another against their will.
Simple kidnapping in Louisiana has penalties that can include fines of up to $5,000, imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to five years, or both.
Comparing False Imprisonment with Kidnapping leads to realizing that False imprisonment and Kidnapping have a critical difference. When kidnapping happens, in the course of detaining a victim, they have been moved from one location to another. However, with false imprisonment, a victim need not have been moved but has been kept in a location against their will.
To further clarify, should false imprisonment, by definition, happen and then the individual is also moved from one location to another, this situation now involves a kidnapping too. Or, if false imprisonment occurs as a means to commit another related crime, such as coercion or threat to gain something of value, then this action, too, is kidnapping.
Call An Experienced Louisiana Kidnapping and False Imprisonment Defense Attorney Today
Protecting your rights and freedoms from the most grievous penalties when you have been charged with false imprisonment or kidnapping in Louisiana is the top priority of Attorney Adams.
If you were charged with a kidnapping or false imprisonment crime in Louisiana, you need a committed and experienced kidnapping and false imprisonment criminal defense attorney on your side. Contact the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams today for a case evaluation.