From Master Trooper to Criminal Defense
Before becoming a criminal defense attorney, Andrew Leonards spent over twenty years in law enforcement with the Louisiana State Police, retiring at the rank of Master Trooper. During his distinguished career, Andrew conducted countless traffic stops, DWI investigations, drug interdictions, and felony arrests. He trained fellow officers, testified in hundreds of court proceedings, and gained an intimate understanding of how the State builds its cases from the ground up. That experience is now his clients’ greatest advantage.
An Insider's Perspective
Andrew’s law enforcement background gives him a perspective that no other defense attorney in the area can replicate. He knows the standard operating procedures, the training protocols, and the shortcuts that officers sometimes take. He can spot a flawed field sobriety test, an improperly administered breathalyzer, or an unconstitutional search because he was trained to conduct those procedures himself. When he cross-examines a law enforcement officer, he isn’t guessing—he’s drawing on decades of firsthand knowledge to expose errors and procedural failures that can make or break a case.
Committed to Lake Charles
As a Lake Charles native, Andrew is deeply invested in the community he serves. He understands the local court system, knows the prosecutors and judges, and brings that local knowledge to bear on behalf of his clients. Combined with his unmatched law enforcement insight, Andrew provides thorough, aggressive defense across the full range of criminal charges. Whether it’s a DWI, drug case, assault charge, or any other criminal matter, Andrew’s unique combination of experience makes him an asset that no other defense team can offer.
Juris Doctorate
Southern University
Law Review Member
Masters of Education with a concentration in Instructional Technology
McNeese State University
Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice
McNeese State University
- Admitted by the Louisiana Supreme Court to Practice in Louisiana in 2023
- Member of the Louisiana Bar Association Committe for Criminal Justice
- Louisiana State Police POST Academy 2003
- Northwestern Accident Reconstructionist 2008
- Drug Recognition Expert 2013
- Drug Recognition Expert Instructor 2015
- Intoxilyzer 9000 Technician 2015
- Radar/Lidar Instructor 2015
- Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Instructor 2015
- Drug Impairment Training for the Educational Professionals Instructor 2017
- Liberty Bell Award Recipient 2018 SWLA Bar Association
- Louisiana Post Basic Instructor Certification 2019
Academy & Basic Training
- Louisiana POST Council — Basic Certificate (Certified Basic Training Course, Louisiana State Police Academy)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Basic Police Academy
- State of Louisiana / DPS&C — Appointment as Trooper (Office of State Police)
- State of Louisiana / Department of Public Safety — State Police Training Academy (course-of-instruction attestation)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Emergency Vehicle Operations
DWI & Impaired Driving Enforcement
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Chemical Testing for Intoxication and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Refresher Course
- Louisiana LTAP — Apprehension, Arrest and Prosecution of the Impaired/Drugged Driver
- Intoxilyzer® 9000 — Certificate of Completion and Competency (Operation, Maintenance & Calibration)
- Robert F. Borkenstein Course on Alcohol and Highway Safety — Effects of Drugs on Human Performance and Behavior
Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program
- IACP Drug Evaluation and Classification Program — Preliminary Training
- IACP Drug Evaluation and Classification Program — DRE School
- IACP — Drug Recognition Expert (DRE)
- IACP — Drug Recognition Expert Instructor
- IACP / Louisiana DEC — Drug Recognition Expert Re-certification
- IACP — DRE Recertification Card
- IACP — DRE Instructor Certification Card
Instructor Certifications
- Northwestern University, Center for Public Safety — Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor
- Northwestern University, Center for Public Safety — Traffic Radar/Lidar Instructor Training
- Louisiana POST Council — POST Basic Instructor Certification
- Louisiana State Police — Strategic Self-Defense & Grappling Tactics (Level One Instructor)
- Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals Instructor
Drug Interdiction & Investigation
- Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training (MCTFT) — Highway Vehicle Stops and the Drug Trafficker
- Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training (MCTFT) — Drug Identification
- Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training (MCTFT) — Introduction to Controlled Substance Investigation
- Gulf Coast HIDTA — Roadside Interview
Specialized & Tactical Training
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Southern Anti-Terrorist Regional Training Academy — Weapons of Mass Destruction Course
- Louisiana State Police (Casino Gaming Section) — Undercover and Surveillance Operations Training
- Northwestern University, Center for Public Safety — Accident Investigation 1
- AXON — TASER CEW Instructor Certification
- AXON — In-House TASER CEW Instructor Certification (In-Person Only)
- AXON — TASER 7 Energy Weapon (Completed Online Training)
- AXON — TASER CEW Instructor Taser 10
Conferences & Continuing Education
- IACP — Certificate of Attendance (21st Annual Training Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Impaired Driving)
- IACP — Certificate of Completion (24th Annual Training Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Impaired Driving)
Awards & Commendations
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Professional Excellence Award
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Unit Citation Award (Rebuilding Calcasieu Together Program)
- Office of State Police / Troop D — Certificate of Recognition (Relay for Life)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Certificate of Award (Unit Citation Award; Meritorious Service Award — Hurricanes Katrina & Rita)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Meritorious Service Award (Hurricane Harvey rescue)
- Louisiana DPS&C / Office of State Police — Unit Citation Award (Calendar Year 2020)
Schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your case.
