Kansas City DWI Lawyers
- Missouri Criminal Defense:
Any conviction on a criminal charge can leave you with a permanent criminal record, that can negatively impact your life in hundreds of ways. Background checks are commonplace by potential employers, landlords, or anyone.
Don't plead guilty to any charge without consulting an attorney first. And even if you think you are guilty, there may be defenses and plea deals that can keep your record clean.
- Mr. Fix-it Traffic Ticket:
DUI, DWI, driving on suspend license, estate planning and injuries.
Criminal defense, drunk driving defense, employment, legal ethics, medical malpractice, Missouri DUI, Missouri DWI.
- Leavitt, Troy:
DUI, DWI, and Drunk Driving, DOR hearings, license suspension, homicide, gun crimes, methamphetamine laboratories, other drug charges; assault, robbery, domestic violence, and Order of Protection and Ex Parte violations, Assault and Battery, theft and white collar crimes, and traffic violations
- Reagan Law:
# Family Law
# Traffic Law
# Criminal Defense
# Personal Injury
- Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian:
When faced with a criminal charge, you should not navigate the criminal justice system on your own. It is critical that you seek informed legal advice prior to discussions with law enforcement.
- McQuain, DeHardt & Rosenbloom:
* driving under the influence (DUI)
* driving while intoxicated (DWI)
* suspended licenses, revoked licenses
* speeding
* reckless driving
* illegal traffic stops
- Jonathan Laurans:
Hire A Lawyer Who Understands BOTH Cases You Face!
Many people do not realize that a DUI/ DWI charge actually initiates two separate cases against the driver, often taking place in separate courts. First, there is the criminal case. Since driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a violation of state statute and/ or city ordinance, either the county or city can arrest a suspected driver and issue a ticket or summons requiring the driver to appear in court and face charges. The criminal penalties for DUI/ DWI are mostly dependent upon the driver’s history of alcohol-related infractions. Whether a driver should plead guilty with the assistance of an attorney negotiating a “plea bargain,” or instead challenge the charge at a trial, is dependent upon the evidence and the validity of the arresting officer’s initiation of the traffic stop and collection of information and evidence from the driver. Only a skilled trial lawyer - one who not only knows all of the various defenses available to a driver, but who has also employed them in a courtroom – should be advising and handling a DUI/ DWI case.
Secondly, there is the administrative case, or license suspension/ revocation proceeding. Since the law views driving as a privilege and not a right, the state is permitted to issue regulations and restrictions governing who may drive a car, and under what circumstances. The legal standards which determine whether someone has committed a DUI/ DWI criminal offense often differ significantly from those standards which determine whether someone is permitted to keep driving after a DUI/ DWI allegation. This means that whether or not a driver is convicted in a criminal court, his or her privilege to drive may be suspended or even revoked, independently in the administrative proceeding.
Needless to say, DUI/ DWI law is complex.
Competent counsel must do a lot more investigation and research than just reading the ticket to determine what the driver’s blood alcohol content (“bac”) was alleged to have been. Counsel must know the qualifications which a police officer or sheriff’s deputy must possess in order to be able to identify a potentially intoxicated driver, and then also process the information and evidence collected. Counsel, at the very least, must know all of the latest court rulings which define and limit the police officers’ power to initiate a traffic stop, conduct field sobriety tests, and then request breath or blood samples for testing. And of course, counsel must know the science behind the tests undertaken.
- Joe Picerno:
We’ve all been in the situation where we go out to dinner or to have a few drinks with friends and then drive home, wondering if it’s a good idea. Generally, it’s never a good idea, and relevant statistics bear that out. According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, more than 30,000 people every year are arrested for and charged with the offense of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).
Therefore, if it’s happened to you, it’s quite obvious that you’re far from alone. It also means that if you have been arrested for DWI in Missouri, you need to secure the services of a Missouri DWI lawyer immediately, as you do have rights that need to be protected and enforced.
- Brent Hankins:
A DUI conviction will not only affect you, but your friends and family too. You may lose your job or find it hard to obtain employment and you will have a tarnished reputation. To assure your best chances for a fair trial is to get the Kansas City criminal attorney representation that you need so that you can get your life back on track.
- Howard Lotven:
When you face a DUI arrest, you face serious consequences. You want a strong DUI defense attorney. You have limited time to act to save your license, and heavy fines, significant jail time, loss of license, probation, increased insurance rates, and more are all possible.
- Anne LaBella:
Drunk driving charges are more complex than many people realize, and the
long-term consequences of any drunk driving conviction can have a
serious impact on your life. You could lose your driver's license or
lose your job. You could become ineligible for certain jobs or licenses,
pay enormous fines and face astronomical increases in your car insurance
rates. You may even face jail time. If you are not properly represented
by a DUI attorney when charged with a first offense, later charges will
result in enhanced penalties. You can eventually be charged with felony
DUI. Did you know that a DUI/DWI arrest actually involves two separate
issues - a criminal case for the tickets and a civil case for the
driver's license suspension?
If you refused or failed a Breathalyzer test and you do not ask for an
administrative hearing, you automatically lose your driver's license. If
you have not done so already, read the paperwork that the officer gave
you when he/she took your driver's license. The time period in which to
ask for that hearing is short.
.
The suspension times mandated by Kansas and Missouri vary depending on
whether you have been stopped for a DUI/DWI before, and whether you
refused to take the breath test, took the breath test and failed the
test a little, or failed the breath test a lot.
- Stanton & Redlingshafer:
More than ever, a drinking and driving defense is one of the most important areas to act on aggressively. Perhaps because it is typically based on an officer's direct observation, and bolstered in many cases by so-called "objective" chemical testing.
- Cynthia Holmes:
DUI/DWI and related drunk driving charges
- Dean Law Office:
Many cities will permit a person who has a good record to plead guilty
to a lesser charge that does not result in points on your record. You
will pay a higher fine but in the long run may save money.
- James F. Speck:
You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
- Michael Accurso:
First offenses in Missouri carry with them a 30-day suspension followed
by 60 days of restricted driving. And, if you refuse the Breathalyzer,
you are facing a 1-YEAR revocation of your driving privilege. You must
act quickly to file for an appeal on these suspensions.
- Joseph DeWoskin:
The consequences of a criminal conviction can be devastating. These charges must be vigorously defended.
- Mark Thomason: DUI,
DWI, and drunk driving charges can bring serious consequences including
your loss of freedom and loss of driving privileges. Traffic violations
left unchallenged can result in loss of a drivers license and higher
insurance rates.
- Clayman & Gunter:
7240 A choice of chemical tests 7241 A penlight eye test 7242 Can I represent myself? 7243 Charged with two crimes 7244 Field sobriety tests 7245 Leading cause of death 7246 License revoked and notice of suspension 7247 No Miranda warning: Case dismissed 7248 Punishment for drunk driving 7249 Should I say I've been drinking? 7250 Signs of a drunk driver 7251 The punishment for the first-time offender 7253 What if I don't agree to take a chemical test? 7254 What is a blood alcohol level? 7255 What is driving under the influence? 7256 What should I do if I'm stopped? 7257 What the officer is looking for at the scene 7258 What will it cost to get a lawyer? |
7259 A "Rising BAC defense" 7260 Alcohol-related ticket and insurance 7261 Avoiding a drunk driving charge 7262 Blood-alcohol concentraton 7263 Driving 7264 Implied consent warnings 7265 Miranda 7266 Mouth alcohol 7268 Regulation of blood alcohol testing 7269 Retrograde extrapolation 7270 Should you get a lawyer? 7271 Testing during the absorptive phase 7272 Under the influence |
- Al White: Proper presentation of
a criminal case regardless of how "simple" the client may think the
case is, is an awesome responsibility.
- David Pettyjohn:
The police work your case just long enough to file charges ’ then their job is done.
- Barlow & Niffen:
The reason for the officer stopping you does need not be related to
driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In fact, most courts
require the officer to stop you for something other than the suspicion
of driving under the influence. Routine stops for faulty equipment and
improper vehicle registration, such as a cracked windshield, burned out
headlight, a broken turn signal, etc., as weel as moving and parking
violations have been held by the courts to give an officer legal
justification to stop you. If the stop was the result of racial
profiling, that may give a lawyer more to work with in an effort to
have charges dismissed or reduced.
- Erker, Norton & Hare:
A charge of DUI can have serious ramifications on a defendant's
driver's license, criminal record and ability to function in society.
The right attorney can make a difference.
- Law Office of David M. Lurie:
Driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving while under the influence of
alcohol or narcotics (DUI) is a serious offense. If anyone was injured
by your actions, you may face serious criminal or even vehicular
manslaughter charges.
If this is your first offense and no injury is involved, the
consequences could be as light as a fine and a suspended license. But be
aware: Even first-timers are going to jail these days.
If you have previous arrests, you face stiffer penalties. Your previous
record will be a factor, regardless of whether you had a prior arrest or
stop "taken care of". Even if the prior arrest doesn't appear on your
official driving record, it will most likely appear in records available
to law enforcement and the prosecution.
However, in many cases, even with a second or third offense, an
experienced lawyer ... may be able to keep you from going to jail.
If you are convicted of DWI/DUI, you will lose your driver's license. In
Missouri or Kansas, if your blood alcohol content is more than .08
percent, the law enforcement officer is required by law to take your
license immediately. This can be reviewed in an administrative hearing,
but you must request a review as soon as possible. In Missouri, you have
15 days to request a review in writing. In Kansas, you have just 10
days. If you miss the deadline, you have no further chance to appeal.
License suspension or revocation (because of a B.A.C. in excess of .08
or a Refsal to take the test) can last from 30 days to one year -
sometimes it is permanent. The rules covering loss of license are
complicated. If you have questions, please contact me or at least speak
with another qualified criminal defense attorney.
If you refuse a breath test, the officer will immediately take your
license, and your license will be suspended for at least one year. This
can be appealed, but in Kansas, you only have ten (10) days to file an
appeal based on a Refusal. In Missouri, you have thirty (30) days, but
you must file a Petition the Circuit Court.
- Peters, Bock & Jones:
Times are tough for people charged with crimes. Sentences are longer than at
any time in history. Even first time offenders are receiving lengthy sentences.
You need attorneys that know the law, know the judges and prosecutors, and are
willing to fight hard to represent you.
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