DWI Lawyer in St. Peters, MO
DWI Lawyer in St. Peters, MO. Getting pulled over and charged with driving while intoxicated is arguably one of the worst worries a St. Peters-area motorist 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 premiums will drastically increase, and have points on your license for years to come. Even worse, your image among friends and neighbors will take a significant blow, and your ability to potentially travel out of the United States could be limited, as nations such as Canada bar travelers with DWI convictions on their record from entering.
Have You Been Pulled Over For DWI in St. Peters?
Having an effective and aggressive St. Peters, MO DWI lawyer in your corner can be — and often is — the difference between pleading guilty to DWI and suffering all its punishments, and having charges reduced or even dismissed. At Combs Law Group, our veteran St. Louis DWI lawyers fight relentlessly for all our St. Peters, MO-area DWI clients. Whether this is the first time you have ever been pulled over for anything or if you have previous DWIs on your record, our firm will give your St. Peters DWI case the personal attention you deserve and plan 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 believes 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 trigger a “fight or flight” response, and this is only heightened when you are suspected of impaired driving. Having tried many St. Peters-area DWI cases, our firm requests that you follow these steps if you are ever pulled over for DWI:
- 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 stop with your phone. Having your own record of your St. Peters DWI stop can greatly help your case and highlight potential differences between the police report and what really occured. Police officers are mandated to follow a set protocol in every DWI stop, and any wrong or skipped action can result in your case being dismissed. Make sure that your phone is locked and secured with a passcode, as well: courts have ruled that police can detain and search unlocked cell phones.
- Stay calm and cooperative. Being aggressive with a police officer will increase the likelihood that they will search your car or subject you to a higher level of scrutiny. Kindness is the best thing to do 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. Cops are on the lookout for 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 revokes your driver’s license for 12 months if you elect not to take a breathalyzer or blood test, this only is in effect 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, call a lawyer immediately. Your discussion with an attorney is completely confidential and privileged under Missouri law. Getting advice from an experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer about whether you should take a BAC test at the station, any complications that came up during your stop, or additional questions you might have can make the difference between spending time in jail and your case potentially being dismissed.
Fighting Both Sides Of Your St. Peters, MO DWI Case
DWI cases in Missouri have two components: a criminal side and a civil side. The criminal punishments for DWI in Missouri, as you likely know, are serious. Even a first St. Peters DWI offense could lead to these consequences 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 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, also known as an SR-22
What Happens If This Isn’t My First DWI?
If this is your second DWI arrest in St. Peters, MO, you will likely be facing 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 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, 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 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 portion of a St. Peters, MO DWI case regards your driving privileges, and how the Missouri Department of Revenue deals with your license revocation or suspension. Most St. Peters-area drivers are not aware that you can appeal the automatic suspension or revocation of your license, as long as that appeal is filed within 15 days of your original arrest. When you hire the St. Peters, MO DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group, you can be confident that our firm will tackle both components of your DWI case urgently and fight relentlessly to limit the consequences a DWI arrest has on your life. We will gather evidence, look at the facts of your case, identify potential problems in the police report or arrest, and draw up a strategy that is made to win.
Some of our recent DWI/DUI Victories
Our track record for getting optimal outcomes for our St. Peters, 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. Peters DWI Lawyer Who Gets Results | Combs Law Group
If you have just been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in St. Peters, MO, you are definitely cognizant that timing is critical when dealing with your case. The quicker you can get a skilled St. Peters DWI lawyer to read documents, collect evidence, and build your defense, the better the odds are that the effects resulting from your St. Peters DWI arrest will be greatly lowered, if not eliminated.
Combs Law Group has helped a large number of St. Peters-area residents from all walks of life take on DWI accusations. Our firm melds first-rate legal knowledge and combative litigation with a commitment to personal service and communication that is unmatched among St. Peters DWI law firms. Our DWI lawyers promise that regardless of what time it is, 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 topic. This is part of our commitment to total client satisfaction, which our former clients can speak to as well.
After you have been pulled over and arrested for DWI in the St. Peters, MO area, call (314) 900-HELP first to schedule a free initial case review and put the veteran St. Peters DWI lawyers at Combs Law Group to work for you.