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St. Louis DWI Lawyers

1. Sindel, Sindel & Noble: DWI, federal and state drug charges and other felonies
2. Bante Law Firm: * Family law and domestic relations: divorce, child custody and child support, and other issues * Real estate: residential and commercial transactions and disputes * Business and commercial law: business organization and dissolution, contracts, transactions and disputes * Estate planning: wills, advance medical directives, trusts and powers of attorney * Probate administration * Traffic and DWI/DUI defense: including speeding tickets and driver's license suspension
3. Hamilton & Piper: DUI/DWI - This is a serious charge. Typically the best way to defend against it is to discover procedural errors in your arrest or mishandling of evidence.
4. Hoffman, Stephen: DWI/DUI If you are charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence of drugs, it is essential to hire a lawyer immediately. There are two components to a DWI in Missouri. The first component is the criminal DWI charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated or impaired. The second component is the administrative hearing pertaining to your driving privileges. In Missouri, your driver's license is automatically suspended if you are arrested for a DWI. You can challenge the suspension in an administrative hearing, but you have to ask for a hearing within the time limitations.
5. Greene & Taylor: Your driving privileges could be suspended or revoked for a number of reasons, including the accumulation of too many points on your driver's license or a court ordered suspension. If you continue to drive while your privileges are limited you are risking receiving a driving while revoked (DWR) or driving while suspended (DWS) if you are caught. Now you face jail time and fines.
6. Ridings Group: DUI/DWI cases stem from the arrest of an individual for operating a motor vehicle while having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) over the limit prescribed by law. Penalties can include fines, driver's license suspension or revocation, mandatory attendance at DUI schools, community service, probation, installation of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device, or a term of imprisonment. Additionally, individuals who refuse to submit to blood alcohol or field sobriety tests may also face criminal liability. In the early stages of a DUI/DWI case, prior to the filing of formal charges, our firm strives to find ways to minimize our clients' criminal liability. Once charges have been filed, the attorneys at The Ridings Group, LLC work diligently to provide the best possible defense. Our firm is committed to timely, personalized interaction with our clients, including regular discussions of the strengths and weaknesses of each client's case, so that our clients have the necessary information to make informed decisions at each stage of the criminal process.
7. Jones & Rath: Automobile Liability Criminal Defense LawLitigation Felonies and Misdemeanors DrugsNarcotics Domestic Violence Driving Under the Influence DUI and Bond Reductions Driving While Intoxicated DWI Expungements Flourishing a Weapon Forgery Insurance Bad Faith Juvenile Crimes Motorcycle Accidents Parole and Probation Personal Injury Auto Accidents and Injuries Premises Liability Probation Violations Rape Seatbelt Injuries Sex Crimes Sexual Abuse Sexual Misconduct Sexual Offenses Weapons Crimes Carrying a Concealed Weapon Slip and Fall Accidents Traffic Violations Trucking Accidents Whiplash White Collar Crimes Work Related Accidents Head and Spinal Cord Injuries Restaurant and Hotel NegligenceLiability Wrongful Death
8. Mandel, Todd: A person commit the offense of evidence tampering when he or she, with the knowledge that an investigation or an official proceeding is in progress, alters, destroys, or conceals any record, document, or item in order to impair its verity, legibility, or availability as evidence in the investigation or the official proceeding. More...
9. Bollwerk & Ryan: When you are pulled over and given a citation for any type of traffic violation, pleading guilty can have a domino effect on your life. Your can lose points on your driving record, your insurance rates can double, you can lose your license and right to drive. In some cases, you can lose your job if you drive a vehicle for a living.
10. Ciuffa, Robert: If you have been arrested for or charged with DWI or DUI, you could face penalties including driver's license suspension, fines and jail time. I strive to minimize the impact these charges and a conviction have on your rights and freedoms. If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Missouri, did you know that the blood-alcohol test you took might not be scientifically valid? The legal blood-alcohol limit in Missouri is .08 for adults. For people under the age of 21, we have the "zero tolerance" or "abuse and lose" law. For juveniles, the BAC is .02. These numbers are crucial to your case. In addition to other elements, the prosecution has to prove your blood-alcohol content (BAC), and it is determined by blood-alcohol tests.
11. Kessler, Lawton: n the case of a DWI or other alcohol related charge, an S.I.S. can result in no record with the Driver's License Bureau and the defendant will not receive any points on their license. Whether you're a first time offender or have been arrested before for a serious traffic violation, the help of a skilled traffic violations attorney who knows the local law and the courts can make the difference between beating a ticket and losing your license.
12. Inskip, Corey: DWI is a very serious offense with negative, far-reaching effects. A drunk driving arrest can result in driver's license suspension or loss of your license altogether. Depending on whether it's your first offense other penalties may include jail time, substantial fines, community service, enrollment substance abuse treatment program and/or a criminal record conviction.
13. Hocking & Dulle: The penalties for drunk driving in Missouri are very serious and include fines, suspension of your driver's license and possible jail time.
14. Law & Schreiner: If you have been arrested for driving under the influence, it is important to know how the prosecutors are building their case against you.
15. Lauber, Gary: If you have been charged with a DWI in Missouri, or traffic violations, you need a criminal defense lawyer who will defend your rights, your driving record, and your driver's license. A drunk-driving charge must be handled quickly and diligently; in addition to defending you from the charge of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence, you will have a driver's license suspension issue to deal with. Missouri DWI laws make it very clear. If you are stopped by a police office and register a blood alcohol level above .08, you can be charged with drunk driving, DUI, DWI, or a similar charge for driving while impaired. Police are under a strict set of legal and constitutional requirements when making a stop for probable cause for drunk driving, and many DWI charges simply don't stand up to legal scrutiny. At the DWI / DUI defese law offices of Gary Lauber, we believe in standing up for your rights, even when police and prosecutors conveniently forget to.
16. Millikan & Millikan: Drunk driving cases can be staggering in their complexity, raising a variety of serious and highly technical Constitutional Law issues. In order to effectively handle DUI/DWI cases, a criminal defense lawyer must have a solid background in anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, and toxicology, and an intimate understanding of the function and operation of the various testing instruments and procedures used by hospital and laboratories in measuring alcohol and/or other drugs in the human body.
17. Charpentier, Jason: Because traffic citations and DWI charges are more commonplace than they once were, people often have the misconception that they are not important and will result in little more than a slap on the wrist. This is not the case. Accumulation of traffic violations and DWI charges can lead to consequences that are far more severe than the temporary suspension of your driver's license.
18. McMahon, Taaffe & Wold: Administrative Hearing for a Suspended License In addition to your criminal case, you also need an attorney to represent you in an administrative hearing. If you refuse to submit to a Breathalyzer or field sobriety test, you can automatically lose your license before trial, because you are deemed to have violated MissouriÕs implied consent law. That law states that there has been probable cause for you to submit to a test. Within 14 days of your arrest, or 30 days if you refused a breath test, we must schedule a hearing before the Secretary of State's Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD). Failure to do schedule a hearing will result in a longer driver's license suspension for a year or longer.
19. Coke Law Firm: IÕve received a ticket for DWI/DUI in Missouri, what is going to happen now? If this is your first time DWI, and you blew over a .08%, there are probably two separate proceedings initiated against you.Ê First, you have the underlying DWI charge in criminal court.Ê Additionally, after being arrested and booked, you were given some paperwork and a fifteen (15) day driving permit.Ê The State of Missouri has enacted a statute that allows the Department of Revenue to suspend your license automatically for thirty (30) days, followed by a sixty (60) day restriction on driving.Ê This suspension is separate and distinct from your criminal offense.Ê It is important to note that the suspension will begin automatically on the sixteenth (16th) day unless you complete the form requesting and Administrative Hearing. You should discuss with your attorney whether or not to file the request for administrative hearing.Ê Many times, the suspension is upheld in the hearing because the only issue to be decided by the Administrative Hearing officer is whether or not there was probable cause to believe that you were driving a motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration in your blood was .08% or more by weight.Ê In many cases, this is relatively easy for the State to prove.Ê However, in many cases, if the officer did not administer the sobriety or breathalyzer test properly, follow all necessary procedures, including training, and complete the forms completely and accurately, the evidence may be excluded and the driver may be successful in having their license reinstated.Ê Filing the request for Administrative Hearing also delays the time by which the thirty (30) suspension begins to run until after the hearing.Ê Keep in mind, however, that the hearing is a legal proceeding and requires the representation of your attorney, which may be expensive, depending upon the length and type of evidence involved. How can an attorney help me with my DUI/DWI? Driving While Intoxicated on the first offense is a Class B Misdemeanor.Ê Upon conviction, it carries a potential penalty of up to six (6) months in jail and a $500.00 fine and eight (8) points on your driving record.Ê My job as your attorney is two-fold:Ê examine the police report and all other evidence against you to determine the likelihood of acquittal at trial, and if it is unlikely the case will be dismissed, negotiate with the prosecutor the best possible plea agreement on your behalf. What type of plea agreement can I get? Upon speaking with the prosecutor, if this is your first offense, it is possible for your attorney to negotiate a Suspended Imposition of Sentence (SIS) with a period of probation.Ê With an SIS, you are agreeing to plead guilty to the charge, however, the sentence will not be imposed upon you unless you violate your probation during your probation period.Ê If you successfully complete your probation, the sentence will never be imposed, and you will not be assessed any points on your license.Ê This type of an agreement usually involves conditions such as taking the Substance Abuse Traffic OffenderÕs Program (SATOP), attending a victim impact panel, community service, and payment of recoupment fees to the police department. What are my responsibilities? 1. Complete SATOP.Ê This is a class that will have to be taken as a condition of probation, as well as to get reinstated administratively.Ê You should try to sign up for the class early, and preferably have the course completed prior to your court date, to show compliance when a plea is requested.Ê If you cannot complete the course prior to your court date, you can sign up for the class the day of court or after, and there will likely be SATOP representatives in the courtroom on the day of the hearing. 2. Make sure the other conditions imposed by the court are met, such as getting your community service completed, paying any fines and court costs, paying any recoupment fees, and meeting with your probation officer initially and at all required times. 3. Obtain SR-22 insurance.Ê On the Administrative side, you must obtain SR-22 (high risk) insurance to be eligible for reinstatement.Ê You may call your (or any other) insurance company to purchase the necessary policy. 4. Pay the reinstatement fee to the Department of Revenue and send in your SATOP certificate and proof of SR-22 insurance in order to have your driverÕs license reinstated. 5. Appear in court at all times instructed by your attorney.Ê Once the case is set for trial or a plea, you will need to appear in court in front of the judge on a specific date.Ê You must be on time and dressed appropriately (business casual or business Ð no jeans, shorts, cut-offs, tank tops, sleeveless shirts, t-shirts, etc.). What is this DUI/DWI going to cost? 1. AttorneyÕs fees.Ê The attorneyÕs fees will vary depending on a variety of factors, including whether you want your attorney to pursue the Administrative Hearing.Ê My fees of $500 includes consultations and interviews with you regarding the facts of your case, entering an appearance on your behalf with the court, requesting and reviewing all evidence and reports in your file, discussing my opinion of the opportunity for success at trial with you, attending the pre-trial hearing or plea agreement, and negotiating a plea agreement on your behalf.Ê In the event you decide you want me to represent you at an Administrative Hearing or you choose to take your case to trial, charges will be billed on an hourly basis. 2. Fines and court costs.Ê If you receive an SIS on the DWI, you will only pay court costs and a recoupment fee for that charge.Ê If there is a companion charge (like speeding, improper lane usage or defective equipment) you may have to plead guilty on those charges and pay a fine plus court costs depending on the plea agreement. 3. SR-22 Insurance.Ê The fee for this high-risk insurance is generally much more than your regular insurance rates.Ê Contact your insurance company to determine the exact cost. 4. SATOP.Ê There is a fee for the SATOP class.Ê It is generally around $100. 5. Community Service.Ê If community service is part of the plea agreement, there may be a cost to participate in a community service program. 6. Recoupment fees.Ê As part of the plea agreement, you may be required to ÒrepayÓ the police department for the time and expense it incurred for your arrest.Ê This fee is usually between $50 and $100. 7. Reinstatement fees.Ê A reinstatement fee of $45 is charged for each violation by the Department of Revenue in order for you to get your license back. 8. Restitution.Ê If there was an accident involved, you may be ordered to show that you have compensated the victim for any injuries or damages.Ê You may also have to show that your insurance company has been advised of the accident and has paid any claims of the victim.
20. Daniel Walkenhorst: A DUI case can be extremely serious business. You may have a family lawyer you rely on for business matters, wills, real estate transactions, and even traffic tickets. When it comes to criminal charges, though, you can't afford to rely on a lawyer who may not be well versed in DUI law. It's critical that you have the information you need to make good decisions, and that you have that information early in the process. You need to know how the charges and the choices you make in responding to them can affect your future-and your family's future. Talking to a DUI lawyer who knows the law in your state and how it applies to your case will help you make informed decisions.
21. Fredman & Fredman: There are various methods in which an eyewitness may identify a defendant. Both in-court and out-of-court identifications may be permitted during a criminal trial.
22. Sansone Law: Always Refuse a Breathayser Test Why you should always refuse aÊ breath test: In a typical drunk driving cases evidence of intoxication includes: 1.ÊÊ Arresting officer's observations; 2.ÊÊ Statements made by driver/defendant; 3.ÊÊ Field Sobriety Tests; 4.ÊÊ Portable Breath Test (Probable Cause Only); 5.ÊÊ BAC Results - Breathalyzer Test Results over .08. If you remove #5, the BAC test, and did not make any incriminating statements to the officer (i.e. "I am drunk" "I drank 12 beers"), the State's case against you is the officer testifying that you looks drunk.Ê Unless the defendant was falling down drunk, this is a difficult case for the State to prove.Ê But the Officer Told me I would Lose my License forÊ a Year if I did not Blow: Missouri's implied consent law states that upon reasonable request by a police to submit to a breath or blood test a refusal to do so results in a presumptive 1 year license revocation.Ê The claim is that you give "implied consent" to submit to alcohol tests when you decide to drive on the state roadways.Ê In most cases I can defeat the 1 year revocation.Ê Defenses Include: 1.ÊÊÊ Reasonable Suspicion or Probable Cause for the Stop and Test Request; 2.ÊÊÊ Proper notification of your rights, Miranda Rights andÊ the Implied Consent Law; 3.ÊÊÊ Voluntary and knowing refusal; 4.ÊÊÊ Opportunity to submit to the test. There are many other defenses that fall under the above categories, however, these are the most common. 1.ÊÊÊ Reasonable Suspicion or Probable Cause for the Stop and Test Request; The implied consent law required that the officer had reasonable suspicion or "probable cause" to believe you were intoxicated before they are legally allowed to ask you to submit to a breath or blood alcohol test. This probable cause is often based on the PBT (portable breath test), so never take one.Ê Additionally, based on the officer's observations and any admissions by the driver.Ê Therefore, it is best not to submit to the tests and simply invoke your right to remain silent.Ê 2.ÊÊÊ Proper notification of your rights, Miranda andÊ the Implied Consent Law The officer is required to inform the driver of the implied consent law before a voluntary and knowing refusal can occur.Ê Additionally, you must be allowed at least 20 minutes to contact a lawyer and reasonable access to the means to do so.Ê This is usually the time when most officers try to scare the driver into taking the breath test by telling them they will inevitably lose their license for a 1 year.Ê DO NOT fall for it!Ê there is a reason they are trying to scare you into taking the test, they know they need that BAC readout to have a solid case against you.Ê 3.ÊÊÊ Voluntary and knowing refusal: This situation occurs most often with asthmatic drivers who attempt to take the BAC test but cannot due to their medical condition.Ê Most cases the officer claims that you purposely tried to fool the machine and writes it down as a refusal.Ê One case we recently won was when the driver was unconscious and talked to the hospital.Ê The officer wrote it up as a refusal, however, the driver was unconscious and could not have refused, thusÊ the license revocation was thrown out.Ê Drunk driving laws in Missouri and Illinois are getting stricter and harsher every year as MADD and other groups constantly lobby the legislature to clamp down on already strict laws.Ê Over zealous enforcement as political pressure bears down on the state's law enforcement agencies is resulting in every day people being treated as criminals.Ê The legal limit has been pushed down to .08 which is a few glasses of wine with dinner.Ê Instead of enforcing the truly drunk drivers, .12 and above in my opinion, they are targeting everybody.Ê
23. Jason Fauss: Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) are criminal charges used to prosecute drivers who operated a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs. The difference between Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is how the state labels the offense. Missouri labels this offense DWI, while Illinois labels this offense DUI. This offense is generally referred to as DWI. If you or a loved one has been arrested for DWI, you probably need an experienced DWI attorney. Many people do not realize this "traffic offense" is, in fact, a criminal prosecution and may have jail time and driverÕs license revocation as punishment. Ê Criminal and Administrative penalties in Missouri for DWI include: ¥ Mandatory alcohol education and treatment/assessment (SATOP) ¥ Administrative license suspension/revocation ¥ Attendance at a Victim Impact Panel (VIP) ¥ Probation or even the possibility of jail time ¥ Possible vehicle confiscation in limited circumstances Ê It is important that you act quickly after being arrested for DWI. You must appeal the administrative suspension within 15 days from the day you were arrested or your license will be suspended or revoked and you will have no right to appeal the decision of the Department of Revenue. Ê This suspension will take place if you: ¥ Refused to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test of your alcohol concentration after you were arrested upon reasonable suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) ¥ Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was tested and the alcohol concentration in your blood, breath, or urine was .08% or higher (.02% or higher if you were under 21 years old) Ê An experienced DWI lawyer will evaluate the evidence including the administrative suspension and results of field sobriety tests and chemical tests to determine if your legal rights were violated. More over, a DWI attorney will be able to advise you on possible plea bargains options.
24. Carla Zolman: Drunk driving is certainly the most serious moving violation you can be accused of. It will cost you time, money, and possibly your driver's license.
25. Joseph Welch: If you get pulled over for Driving While Intoxicated, a DWI, or Driving Under the Influence, a DUI, in many states you can lose your license almost instantly, before youve even gone to court and been found guilty. In Missouri, when you get pulled over and the officer asks you to take a breath test, you have two choices: either take the test or refuse. If you take the test and fail, meaning your blood alcohol level is a 0.08 or above, the Missouri Department of Revenue will suspend your license 15 days later, even if its your first offense, and even if the court later finds that youre innocent of driving while intoxicated. The only way to fight this suspension is to request an administrative hearing during those first 15 days.
26. Frank & Juengel: A defendant cannot be convicted of a crime unless the prosecution proves that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The standard of beyond a reasonable doubt is a constitutional requirement of due process. The United States Constitution does not require a trial court to instruct a jury on the definition of reasonable doubt. However, the Constitution does not prohibit a trial court from providing a jury with a definition of reasonable doubt.
27. Sullivan & Associates: Can you keep a DWI off my record? The unique facts of each case, breathalyzer results, statements both from the officer and from the driver are needed before any attorney can give a prediction as to the final result of a case, and even then there are no guarantees. Police departments have more investigative tools than ever in their arsenal to prosecute drunk drivers.
28. Denise Coleman: Alcohol-related driving fatality and injury statistics in the U.S.are staggering; approximately 17,500 alcohol-related deaths, and overtwo million alcohol-related injuries occur each year. As such, most states do not require the opinion of a forensic toxicologist in determining whether suspected drunk drivers are unlawfully intoxicated. Consequently, the general practice continues with police officers employing their own judgment when determining alcohol intoxication.
29. Charles Ferguson: An individualhas the right to defend oneself without fear of criminal liability for any harm arising from such self-defense when the individual is threatened by an attack (or reasonably believes such an attack is imminent.) It should be noted, however, that the limits of self-defense are largely a creation of state law, and therefore vary in important respects among different jurisdictions.
30. Craig Kessler: A criminal case begins with an arrest, and in our country each individual is considered innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
31. Leslie Tolliver: If you or a loved one has been arrested or accused of a crime in Missouri, you need experienced, aggressive representation to defend you against these criminal charges.
32. Wittner, Poger, Spewak, Maylack & Spooner:

    Traffic violations can have serious criminal consequences, especially when the offense in question involves a drunk driver accused of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated; charges that are commonly referred to by the acronyms of DUI and DWI. A drunk driving conviction in Missouri or Illinois affects a person in a number of negative ways including:

    1. Alcohol assessment and treatment
    2. Community service and probation
    3. Criminal record
    4. Fines and court costs
    5. Increased insurance rates
    6. Mandatory jail or prison sentence
    7. Suspension or loss of driver license
    8. Vehicle immobilization or forfeiture
33. Anthony Ramirez: Missouri passed the "Implied Consent" law in 1964. Anyone who operates a motor vehicle in Missouri consents to giving a blood, breath, saliva or urine sample to determine the alcohol content of their blood (by virtue of driving the vehicle) if, upon reasonable grounds, the police believe the driver is operating the motor vehicle while intoxicated or in a drugged condition. Under the law, the suspect may be required to take two tests.
34. Humphrey, Siegler & Hale: Being charged with such activity can affect your insurance rates, your right to drive, and your ability to earn a living. It is important that you preserve your rights while protecting your reputation, regardless of the offense.
35. Marks Law Firm: The crime of drunk driving is generally defined in two ways: (1) having a blood alcohol content above the limit set by law, or (2) driving under the influence of alcohol. To find a person guilty under the first definition, a jury must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the person's blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeded a certain amount. In most states the legal limit is .08 percent. Therefore, if it is proved that the person's BAC at the time of the incident was .08 percent or greater, he or she can be convicted of drunk driving, regardless of how much alcohol was actually consumed. As a practical matter, one drink would almost certainly not lead to a BAC of .08 percent or greater; generally, a person needs to have five drinks in an hour to develop a BAC of .08 percent. However, if there was something unique about the person or the drink, or other circumstance, one drink could raise the BAC above the legal limit. In contrast, the second definition does not refer to any particular BAC. It focuses on the driving behavior of the person; if it is impaired by the person's consumption of alcohol, he or she can be found guilty of drunk driving. Instead of presenting evidence of the BAC to a jury, the prosecution seeking a conviction under this definition generally presents testimony about the person's driving and consumption of alcohol. A police officer will often describe the impaired driving that lead him to pull the person over and the person's ability (or lack thereof) to perform field sobriety tests, such as walking a straight line. Evidence is also usually presented concerning the person's consumption of alcohol and if the jury then concludes that the prosecution has met its burden of proof, it will convict the person of drunk driving. A susceptible person may exhibit impaired driving after one drink and therefore be convicted of drunk driving.
36. Van Dillen & Flood: It is important that you preserve your rights while protecting your reputation, regardless of the seriousness of the offense.
37. R. L. Sullivan: When you are charged with a DWI, the stakes are high: you license is at risk, your livelihood may be threatened, your reputation is at stake, and a jail sentence is a possibility - even for a first offense.
38. Hogan Law Firm: In recent years, most states including Missouri have taken a tough stand against drunk driving. These cases are treated as serious criminal matters. This is particularly true with repeat offenders. Courts have been imposing increasingly serious punishment on drunk drivers and the trend appears to be moving toward imposing even more serious punishments. To make it more difficult for drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated to evade police, Missouri requires all drivers to submit to breath tests as a condition of retaining their driving privileges. Failure to submit to a breath test, even if the driver can prove he or she was completely sober, is automatic grounds for suspension. This is true even if the driver is never charged with drunk driving. Because driving is considered a privilege and not a right, a driver who chooses to decline a breath test on the grounds of the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination may save him or herself from a driving while intoxicated charge, but will be suspended in the process.