DWI Lawyer in St. Francois County, MO

DWI Lawyer in St. Francois County, MO. Being pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated is arguably one of the biggest worries a St. Francois 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 significant fine, your insurance rates will go up, and have points on your license for years to come. Even worse, your image in the community will take a sizable impact, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be curtailed, as countries such as Canada prohibit travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.

Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in St. Francois County?

Having an effective and aggressive St. Francois County, MO DWI lawyer on your case can —and often does — make the difference between pleading guilty to DWI and suffering all its consequences, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our experienced St. Louis DWI lawyers fight relentlessly on behalf of all our St. Francois County, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been stopped for any moving violation or if this is not the first time you are facing DWI charges, our firm will give your St. Francois County DWI case the personal attention you deserve and craft a legal strategy that is built 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 suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s understandable to be nervous. Being stopped by police 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 tried a substantial number of St. Francois County-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you take the following course of action if you are ever stopped for DUI:

• 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 interaction with your phone. Having your own account of your St. Francois County DWI stop can greatly improve your case and identify potential inconsistencies between the police report and what really happened. Police officers are required to follow a set 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 detain and search unsecured cell phones.
• Stay calm and cooperative. Being hostile to a law enforcement officer will increase the likelihood that they will search your car or subject you to heightened scrutiny. Kindness goes a long way 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 excuse to continue an investigation 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 suspends your driving privileges for 12 months if you elect not to take a breathalyzer or blood test, this only applies after you have been taken into custody for DWI. Portable 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, talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. Your discussion 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 arose in your stop, or other questions you might have can make the difference between paying substantial fines and your case possibly being dismissed.

Fighting Both Sides Of Your St. Francois County, 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 are well aware, are serious. Even a first St. Francois 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 reduced 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. Francois 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 anywhere 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, verifiable 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 portion of a St. Francois County, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue handles your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Francois County-area drivers do not know 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 hire the St. Francois County, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can rest assured that our firm will handle both halves of your DWI case as soon as possible and fight hard to minimize the consequences a DWI arrest has on your life. We will collect evidence, look at the details of your case, identify potential holes 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 the best outcomes for our St. Francois County, MO DWI clients is unequaled, as seen by these results:

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

If you have recently been arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in St. Francois County, MO, you are certainly cognizant that timing is critical when dealing with your case. The quicker you can get an experienced St. Francois County DWI lawyer to look over documents, collect evidence, and craft your defense, the higher the chances are that the punishments resulting from your St. Francois County DWI arrest will be greatly lowered, if not eliminated.

Combs Law Group has helped a large number of St. Francois County-area residents from all backgrounds take on DWI charges. Our firm combines first-rate legal acumen and aggressive litigation with a pledge to provide personal service and communication that is unmatched among St. Francois County DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers guarantee that no matter the time, regardless of the situation, and no matter where you are, 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 attest to as well.

After you have been pulled over and charged with DWI in the St. Francois County, MO area, make (314) 900-HELP your first call to schedule a free initial document review and put the skilled St. Francois County DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group on your case.