DWI Lawyer in Greater St. Louis, MO

DWI Lawyer in Greater St. Louis, MO. Getting pulled over and accused of driving while intoxicated is almost certainly one of the worst fears a St. Louis-area driver can have. Not only will you be stripped of your driving privileges for a minimum of sixty days, you will have to pay a substantial fine, face increased insurance costs, and have points on your license for years to come. Even worse, your reputation in the community will take a significant hit, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be limited, as countries such as Canada prohibit travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.

Have You Been Pulled Over in Greater St. Louis?

Having an aggressive and effective St. Louis DWI lawyer on your case can — and often does — make the difference between pleading guilty to DWI and suffering all its consequences, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers fight tirelessly on behalf of all our St. Louis area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been pulled over for anything or if this is not the first time you are facing DWI charges, our firm will give your St. Louis DWI case the personal attention you expect and create a legal strategy that is built to get you the best possible results.

Our record of success for those accused of DWI is second to none, and we are committed to total client satisfaction in everything we do. After you have been arrested for DWI, make (314) 900-HELP your first call. Initial consultations are always free, and Combs Law Group will work with you regardless of any financial difficulties you might have to help you beat your St. Louis DWI charges.

What Should I Do After I’m Pulled Over For DWI?

After you have been pulled over by a police officer who suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s natural to be nervous. Being stopped by law enforcement for any moving violation is something that can trigger a “fight or flight” response, and this is only increased when you are accused of impaired driving. Having tried hundreds of St. Louis-area DWI cases, our firm recommends that you take the following course of action if you are ever pulled over for DWI:

• Find a safe place to pull over. If you are on a road with a shoulder, pull over there, or find a nearby parking lot. Try to avoid parking on grass.
• Record the entire interaction with your phone. Having your own account of your DWI stop can greatly help your case and find potential discrepancies between the police report and what actually happened. Police officers are required to follow a set protocol in every DWI stop, and any missed or incorrect step can result in your case being dismissed. Make sure that your phone is locked and secured with a passcode, as well: courts have ruled that police can seize and search unlocked cell phones.
• Stay calm and cooperative. Being hostile to a police officer will only make them more likely to search your car or subject you to increase scrutiny. Being polite goes a long way when stopped for DWI.
• Remember: you have the right to remain silent. Give the officer your license and insurance/registration, but don’t give them any other information. Officers are looking for any excuse to continue an investigation and arrest you, so do not give them any.
• Do not take a portable breath test. While Missouri does have an implied consent law that automatically revokes your driver’s license for one year if you refuse a breathalyzer or a blood test, this only applies after you have been placed under arrest for DWI. Portable breathalyzers are often unreliable and are only used as a way for an officer to get probable cause to arrest you.
• If you are arrested, call a lawyer as soon as you can. Your conversation with an attorney is entirely confidential and privileged under Missouri law. Getting advice from an experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a breath test at the station, any issues that arose in your stop, or other questions you might have can make the difference between losing the ability to drive for months and your case potentially being dismissed.

Fighting Both Sides Of Your DWI Case

DWI cases in Missouri have two components: a criminal side and a civil side. The criminal punishments for DWI in Missouri, as you likely know, are serious. Even a first DWI offense could lead to the following consequences under Missouri law, as it is defined as a class B misdemeanor:

• 8 points on your driving record
• Up to 6 months in jail
• Up to a $500 fine
• A 90-day drivers’ license suspension, the last 60 of which can be reduced to a restricted driving privilege (RDP) permit
• Required participation in a drug/alcohol treatment program called SATOP
• Required purchase of a high-risk auto insurance plan, also known as an SR-22

What Happens If This Isn’t My First DWI?

If this is your second DWI arrest in Missouri, you will likely be facing class A misdemeanor charges, which include these punishments:

• No more than one year in jail (any jail sentence for a second DWI must include a minimum of 10 days of “shock time” in jail before possible suspension of sentence or probation)
• Maximum two years probation
• Fines of no more than $1,000
• The suspension of your driving privileges, which ranges from one to five years
• You must install and maintain, at your own expense, an ignition interlock device (which prevents someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
• Continuous, verifiable alcohol monitoring (either by regular breath tests or a wearable device)
• Required participation in a drug/alcohol treatment program
• Required purchase of a high-risk auto insurance plan, also known as an SR-22

The administrative component in a St. Louis DWI case relates to your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue handles your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Louis-area drivers do not know that you can appeal the automatic suspension or revocation of your license, as long as that appeal is filed within 15 days of your initial arrest. When you hire the St. Louis DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be confident that our firm will tackle both components of your DWI case as soon as possible and work hard to minimize the effect a DWI arrest has on your life. We will gather evidence, look at the facts of your case, identify potential holes in the police report or arrest, and create a strategy that is built to win.

Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories

Our track record for getting the best results for our St. Louis DWI clients is unmatched, as evidenced by these results:

Contact A St. Louis DWI Lawyer Who Wins | Combs Law Group

If you have recently been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in St. Louis, MO, you are probably well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with your case. The sooner you can get a skilled St. Louis DWI lawyer to review documents, gather evidence, and build your case, the better the odds are that the consequences resulting from your DWI arrest will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

Combs Law Group has helped hundreds of St. Louis-area residents from all walks of life take on DWI charges. Our firm combines top-notch legal expertise and aggressive litigation with a commitment to personal service and communication that is unmatched among St. Louis DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers promise that no matter the time, no matter the situation, and no matter the circumstances, they will be able to answer your call and discuss your case or any other legal topic. This is part of our commitment to complete client satisfaction, which our previous clients can attest to as well.

After you have been pulled over and arrested for DWI in the St. Louis, MO area, make (314) 900-HELP your first call to schedule a free initial case review and put the experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.