DWI Lawyer in St. Charles County, MO
DWI Lawyer in St. Charles County, MO. Being pulled over and accused of driving while intoxicated is arguably one of the worst worries a St. Charles County-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 hefty fine, face increased insurance costs, and have points on your license for years to come. To make matters worse, your status among friends and neighbors will take a significant blow, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be cut off, as countries including Canada prevent travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in St. Charles County?
Having an effective and aggressive St. Charles County, 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 seasoned St. Louis DWI lawyers fight tirelessly for all our St. Charles County, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been stopped for any violation or if you have previous DWIs on your record, our firm will give your St. Charles County DWI case the personal attention you deserve and plan a legal strategy that is built to get you the best results.
Our track record of success for those accused of DWI 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 no matter 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 logical to be nervous. Being stopped by police for any moving violation is something that can trigger a “fight or flight” response, and this is only increased when you are accused of impaired driving. Having taken hundreds of St. Charles County-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you do the following if you are ever stopped 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 record of your St. Charles County DWI stop can greatly improve your case and identify potential discrepancies between the police account and what actually happened. Police officers are required to follow a set procedure in every DWI stop, and any missed or incorrect step can result in your case being dismissed. Make sure that your phone is locked and secured with a passcode, as well: judges have ruled that police can search and detain unlocked cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being hostile to a law enforcement officer will lower the odds that they will search your car or subject you to increased 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 do not give them anything else. Cops are looking for any reason to find probable cause and arrest you, so do not give them any.
- 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 do not take a breathalyzer or blood test, this only is in effect after you have been arrested for DWI. Hand-held breathalyzers are not consistent and are only used as a way 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 100% privileged and confidential under Missouri law. Getting advice from an experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a BAC test at the precinct, any complications that came up in your stop, or other questions you might have can be the difference between spending time in jail and your case possibly being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your St. Charles County, 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 St. Charles County DWI offense could lead to the following punishments 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 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 St. Charles County, 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 at least 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, at your own expense, an ignition interlock device (which prevents someone from starting a vehicle if their BAC is over a certain limit)
- Regular, verifiable BAC 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 half of a St. Charles County, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Charles County-area drivers are unaware that you can appeal the automatic 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 St. Charles County, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be sure that our firm will tackle both halves of your DWI case without delay and work hard to limit the consequences a DWI arrest has on your life. We will gather evidence, go over the facts of your case, identify potential problems in the police report or arrest, and craft a strategy that is made to win.
Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories
Our track record for getting optimal results for our St. Charles County, 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 St. Charles County DWI Lawyer Who Gets Results | Combs Law Group
If you have just been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in St. Charles County, MO, you are definitely well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with your case. The sooner you can get a trusted St. Charles County DWI lawyer to review documents, collect evidence, and establish your defense, the better the odds are that the punishments resulting from your St. Charles County DWI arrest will be greatly limited, if not erased.
Combs Law Group has helped many St. Charles County-area residents from all walks of life take on DWI accusations. Our firm combines first-rate legal expertise and combative litigation with a promise to provide personal service and communication that is unmatched among St. Charles County DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers vow that regardless of what time it is, regardless of the situation, and no matter the circumstances, they will be able to answer your call and talk about your case or any other legal matter. This is part of our promise of total client satisfaction, which our former clients can attest to as well.
After you have been pulled over and charged with DWI in the St. Charles County, MO area, call (314) 900-HELP first to schedule a free initial document review and get the veteran St. Charles County DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group on your case.