DWI Lawyer in Creve Coeur, MO
DWI Lawyer in Creve Coeur, MO. Being pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated is almost certainly one of the worst worries a Creve Coeur-area driver can have. Not only will you be suspended of your driving privileges for at least sixty days, you will have to pay a significant fine, face increased insurance costs, and have points on your license for the near future. Even worse, your status among friends and neighbors will take a significant hit, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be limited, as nations including Canada bar travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in Creve Coeur?
Having an effective and aggressive Creve Coeur, MO DWI lawyer on your case can be — and often is — the difference between pleading guilty to DWI and facing all its punishments, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our veteran St. Louis DWI lawyers fight relentlessly for all our Creve Coeur, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been stopped for any moving violation or if this is not the first time you are facing DWI charges, our firm will give your Creve Coeur DWI case the personal attention you expect and plan a legal strategy that is designed to get you the best results.
Our track record of success for those facing DWI charges is unmatched, 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 with no regard to 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 stopped by a police officer who believes that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s logical to be nervous. Being pulled over 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 suspected of impaired driving. Having taken many Creve Coeur-area DWI cases, our firm recommends that you follow these steps if you are ever stopped for DUI:
- Find a secure place to pull over. If you are on a road with a shoulder, stop there, or stop at a nearby parking lot. Try to avoid parking on grass.
- Record the entire stop with your phone. Having your own account of your Creve Coeur DWI stop can greatly improve your case and highlight potential discrepancies between the police record and what actually happened. Police officers are mandated to follow a specific protocol in every DWI stop, and any missed or incorrect action can result in your case being dismissed. Make sure that your phone is locked and secured with a passcode, too: judges have ruled that police can detain and search unsecured cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being aggressive with a cop will only make them more likely to search your car or subject you to heightened scrutiny. A little politeness does you a lot of good when stopped for DWI.
- Keep in mind: you have the right to remain silent. Give the officer your insurance card and license, but don’t give them any other information. Officers are on the lookout for for any reason to find probable cause and take you into custody, so do not give them one.
- Do not take a hand-heldportable breathalyzer test. While Missouri does have an implied consent law that automatically suspends your driving privileges for one year if you refuse a breathalyzer or blood test, this only comes into effect after you have been taken into custody for DWI. Hand-held breathalyzers are not consistent and are only used as a way for an officer to get probable cause to arrest you.
- If you are arrested, talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. Your discussion with an attorney is completely confidential and privileged under Missouri law. Getting advice from a veteran St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a BAC test at the station, any issues that arose in your stop, or further questions you might have can be the difference between spending time in jail and your case potentially being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your Creve Coeur, MO DWI Case
DWI cases in Missouri have two halves: a criminal process and a civil side. The criminal punishments for DWI in Missouri, as you likely know, are stiff. Even a first Creve Coeur DWI offense could lead to these 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 restored to a restricted driving privilege (RDP) permit
- Required participation in a drug/alcohol treatment program known as SATOP
- Required purchase of a high-risk auto insurance plan, referred to as an SR-22
What Happens If This Isn’t My First DWI?
If this is your second DWI arrest in Creve Coeur, MO, you will likely be facing class A misdemeanor charges, which carry 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 can be between from one to five years
- You must install and maintain, as well as pay for, an ignition interlock device (which keeps someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
- Regular, trackable 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 Creve Coeur, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most Creve Coeur-area drivers are unaware that you can appeal the automatic suspension or revocation of your license, but only if that appeal is filed within 15 days of your original arrest. When you hire the Creve Coeur, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can rest assured that our firm will tackle both parts of your DWI case without delay and work fiercely to limit the consequences a DWI arrest has on your life. We will obtain evidence, go over the details of your case, identify potential holes in the police report or arrest, and craft a strategy that is built to win.
Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories
Our track record for getting optimal outcomes for our Creve Coeur, MO DWI clients is unmatched, as evidenced by these results:Reduced
Felony DWI/DUI
St. Louis County man with multiple past convictions has DWI charges reduced.
Reduced
Aggravated DUI
Serious felony DUI charges reduced to a lower level.
Contact A Creve Coeur DWI Lawyer Who Wins | Combs Law Group
If you have recently been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Creve Coeur, MO, you are certainly cognizant that time is money when dealing with your case. The quicker you can get an experienced Creve Coeur DWI lawyer to look over documents, gather evidence, and build your case, the higher the chances are that the punishments resulting from your Creve Coeur DWI arrest will be greatly limited, if not erased.
Combs Law Group has helped a large number of Creve Coeur-area residents of all kinds battle DWI charges. Our firm combines first-rate legal expertise and aggressive litigation with a pledge to provide personal service and communication that is unmatched among Creve Coeur DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers vow that regardless of what time it is, no matter the situation, and no matter the circumstances, they will be able to answer your call and talk about your case or any other legal topic. This is part of our commitment to complete client satisfaction, which our former clients can speak to as well.
If you get pulled over and arrested for DWI in the Creve Coeur, MO area, make (314) 900-HELP your first call to schedule a free initial consultation and put the veteran Creve Coeur DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.