DWI Lawyer in Perryville, MO
DWI Lawyer in Perryville, MO. Being pulled over and accused of driving while intoxicated is arguably one of the worst fears a Perryville-area motorist can have. Not only will you be stripped of your driving privileges for at least 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 reputation among friends and neighbors will take a sizable impact, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be curtailed, as nations such as Canada bar travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in Perryville?
Having an aggressive and effective Perryville, MO DWI lawyer in your corner 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 fiercely for all our Perryville, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been pulled over for anything or if you have faced DWI charges before, our firm will give your Perryville DWI case the personal attention you deserve and craft a legal strategy that is made to get you the best results.
Our 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 pulled over by a police officer who believes that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s understandable to be nervous. Being stopped by the cops for any traffic infraction is something that can lead to a “fight or flight” response, and this is only heightened when you are suspected of impaired driving. Having taken a substantial number of Perryville-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you take the following course of action 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 find a nearby parking lot. Try to avoid parking on grass.
- Record the entire stop with your phone. Having your own record of your Perryville DWI stop can greatly help your case and highlight potential differences between the police account and what really occured. 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 password, too: courts have ruled that police can seize and search unsecured cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being hostile to a cop will lower the odds that they will search your car or subject you to heightened scrutiny. Kindness 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. Cops are looking for any excuse to find probable cause and arrest you, so do not give them one.
- Do not take a hand-heldportable breath 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 applies after you have been placed under arrest for DWI. Portable breathalyzers are not always reliable and are only used as a method for an officer to get probable cause to take you into custody.
- If you are arrested, talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. Your conversation 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 in your stop, or other questions you might have can make the difference between spending time in jail and your case possibly being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your Perryville, MO DWI Case
DWI cases in Missouri have two components: a criminal process and a civil side. The criminal punishments for DWI in Missouri, as you are well aware, are stiff. Even a first Perryville 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 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, also known as an SR-22
What Happens If This Isn’t My First DWI?
If this is your second DWI arrest in Perryville, 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, as well as pay for, an ignition interlock device (which keeps someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
- Continuous, trackable BAC 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 portion of a Perryville, MO DWI case relates to your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most Perryville-area drivers are not aware 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 work with the Perryville, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can rest assured that our firm will take on both parts of your DWI case without delay and work tirelessly to limit the effect a DWI arrest has on your life. We will obtain evidence, look at the details of your case, identify potential discrepancies 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 results for our Perryville, MO DWI clients is unmatched, as shown 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 Perryville DWI Lawyer Who Wins | Combs Law Group
If you have just been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in Perryville, MO, you are certainly well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with your case. The quicker you can get a trusted Perryville DWI lawyer to review documents, gather evidence, and build your case, the better the odds are that the consequences resulting from your Perryville DWI arrest will be greatly reduced, if not erased.
Combs Law Group has helped a large number of Perryville-area residents of all kinds battle DWI accusations. Our firm combines first-rate legal expertise and combative litigation with a pledge to provide personal attention and communication that is unmatched among Perryville 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 concern. This is part of our promise of complete client satisfaction, which our previous clients can speak to as well.
If you get pulled over and charged with DWI in the Perryville, MO area, call (314) 900-HELP first to schedule a free initial case review and get the veteran Perryville DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.