Legal Question in Criminal Law in Louisiana

The court date on the ticket is just an arraignment date, not trial on the merits. If you hire an attorney to represent you, the attorney can arraign you without your presence and obtain a trial date for you. You will need to be there for trial, but the attorney can handle the arraignment without you. Don't wait until the last minute to hire one, though, as attorneys have full calendars too and it is best to get your arraignment date set on an attorney's calendar as soon as possible.

I agree with Mr. Lambert, and I would add that if your job is important, you better get an attorney who can help you get rid of the charges because a conviction could any chance of keeping that job.