Michigan, US, 10th June 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Louisiana attorney Michael Bradley is sounding the alarm on one of the state’s most punitive and outdated legal tools: the Habitual Offender Statute. Citing years of courtroom experience and growing public concern about sentencing equity, Bradley urges lawmakers and legal professionals alike to revisit the statute’s broad reach and unintended consequences.
Originally intended to target career criminals, Louisiana’s Habitual Offender Statute permits prosecutors to enhance sentences for individuals with prior felony convictions, sometimes doubling or tripling prison time, or even mandating life without parole. Critics argue the law has evolved into a blunt instrument, disproportionately affecting low-level, nonviolent offenders and clogging the prison system with individuals who pose little threat to public safety.
“Prosecutorial discretion under this statute has become far too expansive,” says Bradley. “It gives the state incredible leverage, often forcing defendants into plea deals out of fear, not guilt. In a system already riddled with inequality, the habitual offender law compounds the damage.”
Bradley has seen the effects firsthand. In his Covington and Franklinton offices, clients often walk in with minor charges but walk out facing enhanced penalties that could cost them decades of their lives. As a former public defender and now a private criminal defense attorney, Bradley has represented clients on both socioeconomic spectrums. In his view, the statute functions more as a tool of coercion than one of justice.
“The statute doesn’t just punish behavior, it punishes history,” he explains. “A person can be years removed from a prior offense, have turned their life around, and still be subject to life imprisonment for something as minor as possession with intent to distribute. It’s excessive, and it’s fundamentally unjust.”
Louisiana has long ranked among the states with the highest incarceration rates in the country, a fact that reform advocates tie directly to statutes like this one. In 2017, lawmakers passed sweeping criminal justice reforms to reduce the state’s prison population. Still, the Habitual Offender Statute remained largely intact, allowing prosecutors to pursue lengthy enhancements at their discretion.
Bradley believes that without further legislative intervention, the statute will continue to perpetuate systemic inequities and stunt rehabilitation efforts.
“We should be investing in second chances, not stacking penalties on people trying to rebuild their lives,” Bradley argues. “The law doesn’t just punish crime, it punishes poverty, addiction, and mental illness. That’s not public safety; that’s state-sanctioned despair.”
The path to reform, according to Bradley, must begin with narrowing the criteria for eligibility under the statute. He supports proposed legislation that would limit its application to violent or egregious crimes and eliminate its use for nonviolent drug and property offenses. He also advocates for mandatory judicial review of all enhancements and clearer standards for prosecutorial application.
“Let judges judge,” Bradley emphasizes. “Let’s give them the tools and discretion to weigh the full context of a person’s history, not just a rap sheet.”
Beyond legislative changes, Michael Bradley is also pushing for more transparency from district attorney offices regarding their statute use. He believes public reporting would help communities better understand how sentencing enhancements are being used, and abused, in their jurisdictions.
“There’s no public oversight when it comes to how these decisions are made,” he says. “That has to change. Transparency is the first step toward accountability.”
Bradley’s push comes when bipartisan support for criminal justice reform grows nationwide. From conservative groups seeking to reduce government spending to progressive advocates calling for racial equity, there’s increasing momentum to reevaluate the laws that have fueled mass incarceration.
But in Louisiana, where law-and-order politics still run deep, meaningful reform remains an uphill battle. That hasn’t deterred Bradley.
“We can be tough on crime without being cruel,” he says. “The law should be a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. It should correct behavior, not erase lives.”
As chair of the Criminal Division of the 22nd Judicial District Bar Association, Bradley is uniquely positioned to influence both public opinion and professional practice. He frequently speaks to legal organizations and community groups about the human toll of harsh sentencing laws and the urgent need for reform.
In his legal practice, he continues to fight enhancement charges, pushing back against a system he believes too often confuses punishment with justice.
“Louisiana has an opportunity to lead on this issue, not just as a cautionary tale, but as a beacon of smart, fair sentencing policy,” Bradley concludes. “But only if we dare to change course.”
To learn more visit: https://michaelbradleyattorney.com/
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