Movies and TV shows often portray the criminal court system as a fast-paced environment where defendants are arrested, charged and then shuffled into court for judgment in only a matter of days. Things are different in real life. Even if someone is arrested, he or she might not be indicted on charges until months later, which can make crafting a criminal defense complicated. This is the situation that one young man in Lake Charles is currently facing.
In Dec. 2019, officers with the Lake Charles Police Department arrested an 18-year-old. They had a warrant for his arrest, which was related to an incident that took place on Dec. 27, 2018. On that day, a man suffered fatal injuries after being shot.
Police believe that the teenager they recently arrested was in the older man’s car at the time. The victim was apparently about to head to work when he realized that someone was in his car, and was then shot. At the time of this incident, the defendant was only 16 years old.
He has since been charged with first degree murder, which is a very serious matter in Louisiana. Should he be convicted, he could face life in prison or even the possibility of the death sentence. There is no room for missteps in these situations. To build the strongest criminal defense possible, those who are facing charges that can completely alter their futures should be certain that they fully understand those charges and any evidence that Lake Charles police officers claim to have collected.
