DWI Lawyer in Park Hills, MO
DWI Lawyer in Park Hills, MO. Being pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated is almost certainly one of the biggest worries a Park Hills-area motorist can have. Not only will you be prohibited from driving for at least sixty days, you will have to pay a significant fine, face increased insurance costs, and have points on your license for years to come. To make matters worse, your image in the community will take a sizable hit, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be curtailed, as countries including Canada prevent travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in Park Hills?
Having an aggressive and effective Park Hills, MO DWI lawyer on your case can —and often does — make the difference between pleading guilty to DWI and suffering all its punishments, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our veteran St. Louis DWI lawyers fight relentlessly on behalf of all our Park Hills, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been pulled over for any violation or if you have previous DWIs on your record, our firm will give your Park Hills DWI case the personal attention you deserve and plan a legal strategy that is designed to get you the optimal results.
Our record of success for those accused of DWI 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 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 suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s natural to be nervous. Being pulled over by law enforcement for any traffic infraction is something that can lead to a “fight or flight” response, and this is only increased when you are accused of impaired driving. Having taken a substantial number of Park Hills-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you follow these steps if you are ever pulled over for DWI:
- 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 encounter with your phone. Having your own account of your Park Hills DWI stop can greatly benefit your case and find potential discrepancies between the police record and what really occured. Police officers are required to follow a set procedure in every DWI stop, and any incorrect or overlooked action 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 detain and search unlocked cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being aggressive with a police officer will increase the likelihood that they will search your car or subject you to increased scrutiny. Being polite is the best thing to do when stopped for DWI.
- Remember: you have the right to remain silent. Give the officer your license and insurance/registration, but do not give them anything else. Officers are looking 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 12 months if you refuse a breathalyzer or blood test, this only applies after you have been placed under arrest for DWI. Portable breathalyzers are not always reliable 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 possible. Your conversation with an attorney is entirely confidential and privileged under Missouri law. Getting advice from a veteran St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a breath test at the precinct, any issues that came up during your stop, or other questions you might have can be the difference between paying substantial fines and your case potentially being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your Park Hills, MO DWI Case
DWI cases in Missouri have two halves: a criminal side and a civil side. The criminal sentences for DWI in Missouri, as you likely know, are serious. Even a first Park Hills DWI offense could lead to these punishments 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 called 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 Park Hills, MO, you will likely be looking at class A misdemeanor charges, which carry 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)
- Regular, trackable alcohol 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 half of a Park Hills, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most Park Hills-area drivers are not aware that you can appeal the automatic suspension or revocation of your license, as long as that appeal is filed within 15 days of your original arrest. When you work with the Park Hills, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be confident that our firm will handle both parts of your DWI case without delay and work relentlessly to limit the effect a DWI arrest has on your life. We will collect evidence, go over the details of your case, identify potential problems in the police report or arrest, and draw up a strategy that is built to win.
Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories
Our track record for getting optimal results for our Park Hills, MO DWI clients is unmatched, as seen 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 Park Hills DWI Lawyer Who Wins | Combs Law Group
If you have just been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Park Hills, MO, you are probably well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with your case. The quicker you can get an experienced Park Hills DWI lawyer to review documents, obtain evidence, and establish your case, the better the odds are that the punishments resulting from your Park Hills DWI arrest will be greatly reduced, if not erased.
Combs Law Group has helped hundreds of Park Hills-area residents from all backgrounds battle DWI accusations. Our firm melds top-notch legal expertise and aggressive litigation with a pledge to provide personal attention and communication that is unmatched among Park Hills DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers promise that regardless of what time it is, no matter the situation, and regardless of where you are, they will be able to answer your call and discuss your case or any other legal concern. This is part of our promise of total client satisfaction, which our former clients can speak to as well.
If you get pulled over and charged with DWI in the Park Hills, MO area, make (314) 900-HELP your first call to schedule a free initial consultation and put the veteran Park Hills DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.