Eric H. Hayes

Eric H. Hayes is a dedicated criminal defense attorney at Rozas. Since being sworn into the Louisiana Bar in September 2020, Eric has focused his practice on state and federal criminal defense. He also serves as a CJA panel attorney, representing indigent defendants in the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana.

Originally from Plano, Texas, Eric was raised in a family with deep roots in south Louisiana. He moved to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University, where he earned both his undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration. While at LSU, Eric proudly marched with the All-American Golden Band from Tigerland and spent his Saturdays in Death Valley.

Before attending law school, Eric worked in public service in both higher education and state government. He later pursued his law degree at Southern University Law Center, where he developed a passion for criminal defense and the plight of the accused. While in law school, Eric gained hands-on experience clerking for both the Orleans Public Defenders and the East Baton Rouge Public Defender’s Office—two of the state’s highest-volume criminal courts.

Under Louisiana Supreme Court Rule XX, Eric was sworn in as a student practitioner, allowing him to defend indigent clients in court even before graduation. After earning his law degree, he continued his commitment to public defense, serving as a staff attorney for the East Baton Rouge Public Defender’s Office and later for the 15th Judicial District Public Defender’s Office in Lafayette. In these roles, Eric represented clients facing everything from misdemeanors to the most serious felony charges.

Since joining Rozas, Eric has obtained countless dismissals of both misdemeanor and felony offenses on behalf of his clients. He has tried cases to verdict before both judges and juries at the state and federal levels. Among his recent successes is a Not Guilty verdict at trial against the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

Eric brings this wealth of experience to his work at Rozas, where he zealously advocates for the liberty and dignity of every client he represents.  He is fiercely devoted to his clients and their cause.

Education

Southern University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2020

Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2015

Master of Public Administration

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2013

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

Professional and Bar Association Membership

Louisiana Bar Association

Baton Rouge Bar Association

Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Bar Admissions

Louisiana, 2020

Alabama, 2023

U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 2022

U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, 2022

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 2022

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 2022

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 2023

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi (Pro Hac Vice), 2023

Previous Employment

Assistant Public Defender, 15th Judicial District Public Defender's Office, Lafayette, Louisiana

Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender, East Baton Rouge Parish, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Rule XX Student Attorney, Southern University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Extern, Louisiana Department of Justice, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Law Clerk, Hon. Judge Bonnie Jackson, 19th Judicial District Court, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Law Clerk, Orleans Public Defenders, New Orleans, Louisiana

Practice Areas

• Federal defense
• Crimes of violence
• Juvenile crimes
• DWI
• Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) defense