DWI Lawyer in Herculaneum, MO

DWI Lawyer in Herculaneum, MO. Getting pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated is definitely one of the worst worries a Herculaneum-area driver can have. Not only will you be suspended of your driving privileges for a minimum of sixty days, you will have to pay a significant fine, your insurance rates will go up, and have points on your license for years to come. To make matters worse, your status among friends and neighbors will take a significant impact, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be cut off, as countries including Canada prohibit travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.

Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in Herculaneum?

Having an aggressive and effective Herculaneum, MO DWI lawyer on your team 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 experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers fight relentlessly for all our Herculaneum, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been pulled over for any moving violation or if you have faced DWI charges before, our firm will give your Herculaneum DWI case the personal attention you deserve and plan a legal strategy that is designed to get you the optimal outcome.

Our track record of success for those facing DWI charges 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 stopped by a police officer who believes that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s natural to be nervous. Being pulled over by police for any moving violation is something that can lead to a “fight or flight” reaction, and this is only increased when you are accused of impaired driving. Having taken a substantial number of Herculaneum-area DWI cases, our firm recommends that you do the following if you are ever stopped for DUI:

• Find a safe place to pull over. If you are on a road with a shoulder, stop there, or stop at a nearby parking lot. Try not to park on grass.
• Record the entire encounter with your phone. Having your own account of your Herculaneum DWI stop can greatly benefit your case and find potential inconsistencies between the police report and what really happened. Police officers are mandated to follow a specific procedure in every DWI stop, and any wrong or skipped step can result in your case being dismissed. Make sure that your phone is locked and secured with a passcode, too: courts have ruled that police can search and detain unlocked cell phones.
• Stay calm and cooperative. Being aggressive with a law enforcement officer will lower the odds that they will search your car or subject you to a higher level of scrutiny. Being polite goes a long way when stopped for DWI.
• Remember: you have the right to remain silent. Give the officer your insurance card and license, but do not give them anything else. Officers are on the lookout for for any reason to find probable cause and arrest you, so do not give them any.
• Do not take a hand-heldportable breathalyzer test. While Missouri does have an implied consent law that automatically suspends your driver’s license for one year if you elect not to take a breathalyzer or blood test, this only applies after you have been placed under arrest for DWI. Hand-held breathalyzers are not always reliable and are only used as a method for an officer to get probable cause to arrest you.
• If you are arrested, talk to a lawyer immediately. Your chat with an attorney is 100% privileged and confidential under Missouri law. Getting advice from an experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a breathalyzer test at the station, any issues that arose during your stop, or other questions you might have can be the difference between losing the ability to drive for months and your case possibly being dismissed.

Fighting Both Sides Of Your Herculaneum, MO DWI Case

DWI cases in Missouri have two halves: a criminal process and a civil side. The criminal sentences for DWI in Missouri, as you likely know, are serious. Even a first Herculaneum DWI offense could lead to these consequences under Missouri law, as it is classified 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 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 Herculaneum, MO, 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 no less than 10 days of “shock time” in custody 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 keeps someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
• Continuous, verifiable alcohol consumption monitoring (either by regular breath tests or a wearable device)
• Mandatory 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 Herculaneum, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue handles your license revocation or suspension. Most Herculaneum-area drivers are not aware that you can appeal the mandatory suspension or revocation of your license, so long as that appeal is filed within 15 days of your original arrest. When you work with the Herculaneum, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can rest assured that our firm will tackle both parts of your DWI case as soon as possible and fight fiercely to limit the effect a DWI arrest has on your life. We will gather evidence, look at 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 the best outcomes for our Herculaneum, MO DWI clients is unequaled, as evidenced by these results:

Contact A Herculaneum DWI Lawyer Who Gets Results | Combs Law Group

If you have just been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in Herculaneum, MO, you are definitely cognizant that time is money when it comes to your case. The sooner you can get a skilled Herculaneum DWI lawyer to read documents, obtain evidence, and build your case, the better the odds are that the punishments resulting from your Herculaneum DWI arrest will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

Combs Law Group has helped hundreds of Herculaneum-area residents from all backgrounds battle DWI charges. Our firm merges top-notch legal expertise and aggressive litigation with a promise to provide personal attention and communication that is unequaled among Herculaneum DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers promise that no matter the time, regardless of the situation, and no matter where you are, they will be able to answer your call and talk with you about your case or any other legal topic. This is part of our commitment to total client satisfaction, which our previous clients can attest to as well.

If you get pulled over and charged with DWI in the Herculaneum, MO area, make (314) 900-HELP your first call to schedule a free initial consultation and put the experienced Herculaneum DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group on your case.