DWI Lawyer in St. Charles, MO

DWI Lawyer in St. Charles, MO. Getting pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated is arguably one of the worst fears a St. Charles-area motorist can have. Not only will you be prohibited from driving for a minimum of sixty days, you will have to pay a substantial fine, your insurance premiums will drastically increase, and have points on your license for the near future. Even worse, your image among friends and neighbors will take a massive blow, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be cut off, as nations such as Canada bar travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.

Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in St. Charles?

Having an aggressive and effective St. Charles, 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 experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers fight tirelessly for all our St. Charles, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been stopped for any moving violation or if you have faced DWI charges before, our firm will give your St. Charles DWI case the personal attention you deserve and create a legal strategy that is made to get you the optimal outcome.

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 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 suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s natural to be nervous. Being pulled over by the cops 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 tried a substantial number of St. Charles-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you take the following course of action if you are ever pulled over for DUI:

• Find a safe place to pull over. If you are on a road with a shoulder, pull over there, or find a nearby parking lot. Try to avoid parking on grass.
• Record the entire encounter with your phone. Having your own account of your St. Charles DWI stop can greatly benefit your case and identify potential differences between the police record and what actually happened. Police officers are required to follow a specific protocol 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 password, too: courts have ruled that police can seize and search unsecured cell phones.
• Stay calm and cooperative. Being aggressive with a cop will increase the likelihood that they will search your car or subject you to increased scrutiny. Being polite goes a long way when stopped for DWI.
• Keep in mind: you have the right to remain silent. Give the officer your insurance card and license, but nothing more. Officers are looking for any excuse to continue an investigation and take you into custody, so do not give them one.
• Do not take a hand-heldportable breath test. While Missouri does have an implied consent law that automatically revokes your driving privileges for 12 months if you refuse a breathalyzer or blood test, this only comes into effect after you have been taken into custody 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, call a lawyer immediately. Your discussion with an attorney is completely privileged and confidential under Missouri law. Getting advice from an experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a breath test at the station, any issues that arose in your stop, or additional questions you might have can make the difference between paying substantial fines and your case possibly being dismissed.

Fighting Both Sides Of Your St. Charles, MO DWI Case

DWI cases in Missouri have two components: a criminal process and a civil side. The criminal sentences for DWI in Missouri, as you are well aware, are serious. Even a first St. Charles DWI offense could lead to these 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 converted 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. Charles, 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 can be anywhere from one to five years
• You must install and maintain, as well as pay for, an ignition interlock device (which prevents 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)
• 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 component in a St. Charles, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Charles-area drivers are unaware that you can appeal the mandatory suspension or revocation of your license, so long as that appeal is filed within 15 days of your initial arrest. When you work with the St. Charles, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be confident that our firm will handle both parts of your DWI case urgently and work hard to limit the consequences a DWI arrest has on your life. We will obtain evidence, go over the facts of your case, identify potential holes in the police report or arrest, and create a strategy that is designed to win.

Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories

Our track record for getting the best outcomes for our St. Charles, MO DWI clients is unequaled, as evidenced by these results:

Contact A St. Charles DWI Lawyer Who Gets Results | Combs Law Group

If you have just been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in St. Charles, MO, you are definitely well aware that time is of the essence when it comes to your case. The quicker you can get a trusted St. Charles DWI lawyer to review documents, obtain evidence, and craft your case, the better the odds are that the effects resulting from your St. Charles DWI arrest will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

Combs Law Group has helped hundreds of St. Charles-area residents from all backgrounds fight DWI charges. Our firm merges top-notch legal knowledge and hard-nosed litigation with a pledge to provide personal service and communication that is unequaled among St. Charles DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers guarantee that no matter the time, no matter the situation, and no matter 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 previous clients can speak to as well.

After you have been pulled over and arrested for DWI in the St. Charles, MO area, call (314) 900-HELP first to schedule a free initial document review and put the experienced St. Charles DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.