DWI Lawyer in St. Ann, MO
DWI Lawyer in St. Ann, MO. Getting pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated is definitely one of the worst fears a St. Ann-area motorist can have. Not only will you be prohibited from driving for a minimum of sixty days, you will have to pay a significant fine, your insurance premiums will drastically increase, and have points on your license for years to come. Even worse, your status among friends and neighbors will take a sizable blow, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be limited, as nations such as Canada prohibit travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in St. Ann?
Having an effective and aggressive St. Ann, MO DWI lawyer on your case can be — and often is — the difference between being found guilty to DWI and facing all its consequences, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers fight fiercely on behalf of all our St. Ann, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been stopped for anything or if you have faced DWI charges before, our firm will give your St. Ann DWI case the personal attention you deserve and craft a legal strategy that is made to get you the optimal results.
Our 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 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 understandable to be nervous. Being pulled over by police for any traffic infraction is something that can lead to a “fight or flight” reaction, and this is only heightened when you are accused of impaired driving. Having tried a substantial number of St. Ann-area DWI cases, our firm recommends that you take the following course of action if you are ever stopped for DWI:
- Find a secure place to pull over. If you are on a road with a shoulder, pull over 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 St. Ann DWI stop can greatly help your case and identify potential inconsistencies 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 password, too: courts have ruled that police can search and detain unlocked cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being hostile to a police officer will lower the odds that they will search your car or subject you to heightened scrutiny. A little politeness does you a lot of good when stopped for DWI.
- Remember: 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 on the lookout for for any reason to find probable cause and arrest you, so do not give them one.
- Do not take a hand-heldportable breathalyzer test. While Missouri does have an implied consent law that automatically revokes your driver’s license for one year if you elect not to take a breathalyzer or blood test, this only comes into effect after you have been taken into custody for DWI. Portable breathalyzers are often unreliable and are only used as a method for an officer to get probable cause to place you under arrest.
- If you are arrested, call a lawyer immediately. Your chat 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 breathalyzer test at the station, any issues that came up in your stop, or further questions you might have can make the difference between losing the ability to drive for months and your case possibly being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your St. Ann, 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 serious. Even a first St. Ann 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 St. Ann, 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 a minimum of 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 prevents someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
- Regular, trackable alcohol consumption 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 portion of a St. Ann, MO DWI case relates to your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue handles your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Ann-area drivers do not know that you can appeal the mandatory suspension or revocation of your license, but only if that appeal is filed within 15 days of your original arrest. When you hire the St. Ann, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be sure that our firm will handle both parts of your DWI case as soon as possible and fight tirelessly to minimize the effect a DWI arrest has on your life. We will obtain evidence, go over the facts 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 St. Ann, MO DWI clients is unequaled, 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 St. Ann DWI Lawyer Who Wins | Combs Law Group
If you have recently been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in St. Ann, MO, you are definitely cognizant that time is of the essence when it comes to your case. The quicker you can get a skilled St. Ann DWI lawyer to look over documents, obtain evidence, and build your defense, the better the odds are that the consequences resulting from your St. Ann DWI arrest will be greatly limited, if not eliminated.
Combs Law Group has helped hundreds of St. Ann-area residents of all kinds battle DWI charges. Our firm combines best-in-class legal acumen and combative litigation with a pledge to provide personal attention and communication that is unequaled among St. Ann DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers guarantee that regardless of what time it is, regardless of the situation, and regardless of where you are, they will be able to answer your call and talk about your case or any other legal topic. This is part of our promise of 100% client satisfaction, which our former clients can speak to as well.
After you have been pulled over and arrested for DWI in the St. Ann, MO area, call (314) 900-HELP first to schedule a free initial consultation and put the skilled St. Ann DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group in your corner.