Criminal Defense Lawyer in St. Charles, MO

Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Charles, MO. Getting charged with a crime, even a seemingly insignificant one such as a traffic ticket or driving while intoxicated, can alter someone’s life for good. Not only will your standing among colleagues, friends, and family be permanently soiled, if found guilty you will be looking at major penalties ranging from fines to hours spent performing community service to even jail time. Also, if your charges are felonies, a conviction means your rights as a citizen will be heavily restricted, including a prohibition on voting or owning a firearm.

Having the correct St. Charles criminal defense lawyer representing you in the courtoroom can be what separates your charges being reduced, if not entirely eliminated, and having to suffer these penalties. You need a lawyer who gives your case the best in personal care and attention, who will develop an intelligent, winning defense strategy tailor-made for your distinct situation, and do all that they can to reduce—or even eliminate—the effect that criminal charges can have on your life.

The veteran St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte are here to help St. Charles-area citizens from all walks of life who are looking at criminal charges reduce the effect they have on their reputation, freedoms, and lives. Our standard of offering successful, client-focused legal representation is unmatched among criminal defense lawyers in St. Charles. We are waiting to talk to you about your case today and offer free, no-strings-attached initial consultations. If you are facing criminal charges and want to put the attorneys at Combs Waterkotte on your side, call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact online today.

A Complete St. Charles, MO Criminal Defense Lawyer

The skilled St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte take a diverse array of case types and criminal charges, such as:

• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Assault/Battery
• Domestic Violence
• Theft/Larceny
• Probation Violations
• Drug Charges

Working with the right lawyer can be the difference between your case going in your way and losing your rights and freedoms. In contrast with other St. Charles criminal defense lawyers, our firm places total client satisfaction at the center of our practice. When you choose Combs Waterkotte, you can be assured that you can call your St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyer at any time of day to discuss the facts of your case, legal strategy, or anything else. Regardless of where you are, the time of day, or your current situation, you will have a dedicated line to your attorney to listen and understand you in your time of need.

When Should I Call A Criminal Defense Lawyer?

If you ever get in trouble with the police, you may believe that if you “lay low” or say what they want to hear, you will be fine and they will not give you any more trouble. However, this is a rare occurrence, and you should take any criminal investigation seriously and be ready to speak with an experienced St. Louis criminal defense lawyer at any time.

It is wholly possible that you may not believe you should talk to a criminal defense lawyer, but calling one could vastly improve the circumstances of your case. Here are a few instances where calling a St. Charles defense lawyer is the right thing to do:

• When officers “just want to ask questions”. If you were at a crime scene and had nothing at all to do with it, it’s safe to talk to the police. However, you still need to watch your mouth, as the police did not directly witness the crime: after all, this is why they are looking for witnesses to begin with. An inexperienced or overzealous officer could read your statement the wrong way and consider you a person of interest. If police want your witness statement, request if you can make an appointment with the officer. This way, you can talk to an attorney, go over what you saw and how you fit into the situation, and make sure what you say to the police clearly establishes that you were an innocent bystander. If the facts of your case are murky and could lead to you being a person of interest, you may want to hire a criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights.
• When police want you to sign paperwork. Police cannot force you to do anything unless they have a reasonable hunch that you committed a crime. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution provides you protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and heavily curtails their power to obtain search warrants or make you grant access to personal data. However, police will occasionally ask you to sign “releases”, which permit them to get blood tests or scans to see if you had drugs or alcohol in your bloodstream. If the police request that you sign one of these documents, politely decline and request to talk with a lawyer. Voluntarily permitting the police to get access to these records, even if they did not have a legitimate reason to request them, automatically makes them admissible in court as evidence, so it is critical to know your rights at all times.
• When you have been arrested for a crime. This is the most logical time you need a criminal defense lawyer in St. Charles, MO. If you are ever arrested by the police, you should immediately invoke your right to remain silent, explain that you do not want to answer any inquiries without a lawyer in the room, and call a St. Charles criminal defense lawyer who can help you stand up against charges and accusations.

Fixing Traffic Tickets In St. Charles, MO

If there’s one thing that St. Charles drivers do not want to see on their rear bumper, it’s the unmistakable sight of police sirens pulling them over for something they did on the roads. Motorists all over St. Charles, MO know that local municipal police departments use traffic tickets not to promote good driving habits, but sometimes as a way to fill city coffers (especially if the municipality you are driving through has a dwindling property tax base, or indeed does not levy property tax on homeowners).

Being written a traffic ticket in St. Charles, MO isn’t just a pain, it’s also a financial penalty. If you elect to pay your St. Charles traffic ticket, you indirectly plead guilty to the charges you were pulled over for and they go on your driving record. Depending on the degree of your offense, you could be staring down a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and your car insurance premiums will drastically increase. Tickets usually cannot be struck from your driving record for a minimum of three years, as well, which means that if you are pulled over another time during this window you could be looking at harsher penalties.

Many St. Charles drivers are choosing Combs Waterkotte as their St. Charles traffic ticket lawyer, and with good reason. Combs Waterkotte brings unparalleled legal knowledge to every one of its cases, even minor moving violations. Our firm works non-stop to ensure that the charges on your traffic ticket are brought down to non-moving violations (which, after you’ve paid them, do not stay on your record or affect insurance rates) or have your ticket dismissed due to an irregularity in your stop. Best of all, our exceptional St. Charles traffic ticket lawyer services come at an exceptional value: just $49.99 for most cases, allowing you access to quality legal services at a price you would not expect. If you have recently been issued a traffic ticket in St. Charles, MO and do not want it to stay on your driving record, call us now at (314) 900-HELP to speak with our firm and begin the process of fixing your St. Charles traffic ticket.

Contact Experienced St. Charles, MO Criminal Defense Lawyers | Combs Waterkotte

When you have been accused of a crime, from a small traffic ticket for rolling a stop sign to serious felonies, talk to a seasoned St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyer at Combs Waterkotte first. Call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to schedule a free review of your case. Our firm is here to chat with you at a time that fits your schedule to help you defend yourself against criminal charges and keep your hard-won reputation amongst friends and in the community.