Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer

I am Douglas Richards, a Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer, who since graduating from Washington University Law School in 1986, have been helping and defending people who have been arrested and charged with Criminal DWI and DUI Charges for over the past 30 years.

In Missouri, the City of Maplewood is in an area where there numerous DUI Arrests.  Whether you were driving on Manchester Road, Big Bend Blvd, Laclede Station Road or other main road in the City of Maplewood, the police are always on the lookout for impaired drivers.  If you get pulled over for speeding, or some other violation, the police officer first asks to see your drivers license and proof of insurance.  But it seems like the next question the police officer always asks you is if you have been drinking or have taken any drugs.  If you say “yes”, or, if the police officer claims to smell alcohol or claims to smell drugs (pot), the police officer will ask you to step out of your car and have you do some field sobriety tests.  The next thing you know is that you are being arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

The police officer handcuffs you and takes you to the station.  When you are released, the police officer gives you some tickets, and a white piece of paper and tells you that your drivers license is going to be suspended in 15 days.

What do you do now? You can’t have your drivers license suspended! You need to be able to drive to work! You need to be able to pick up your kids, to be able to go to the store, to go places and to do all the things you have to do! You need to be able to drive on a daily basis.

Who do you call for the Best DUI Defense help you need?

Which Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer will fight hard for you to keep your license from being suspended and give your case the personal attention it deserves?

With over 30 years of legal experience, I know how much a DUI Charge can impact your life.  My goal is to keep you from losing your license.  Most people are under the impression that there is no way to beat a DUI Charge. Wrong! But to do it, you need a dedicated and experienced DUI Defense Lawyer to handle your case.  You need a Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer who is willing to look into ALL the facts, to look into ALL the details in order to find the exceptions, the mistakes that were made in your case by the police.  And in every case, I am able to find mistakes that are made by the police. By pointing out these mistakes made by the police to the Prosecuting Attorney, I  can show the Prosecuting Attorney that he has no case,  or a very weak case, and this can serve as the basis to arrange for a plea bargain, a reduced charge, or even complete dismissal of the DUI charge.

Remember, police officers are just people too, and they make mistakes when they write up police reports.  They make mistakes when they have you perform Field Sobriety Tests. They cut corners and do not give you the detailed instructions that they are supposed to do. They do not observe you for the proper time period before you take a breath test.  My job, with your help, is to find these mistakes and to use them to our advantage so that you can learn from this experience and move on with your life. That is what a dedicated and experienced Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer can do for you!

Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer.  When you are charged with a DUI or DUI in the City of Maplewood, you technically have two separate DUI cases pending against you that are going on at the same time.

The first DUI case is the criminal charge brought against you in the City of Maplewood Municipal Court. The criminal DUI case is handled by the Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Maplewood. The Prosecuting Attorney has the burden of proving your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If you are found guilty under the Criminal DUI case, your license would be suspended for points, you could be sentenced to jail and/or be ordered to pay a large fine. This is why you need an experienced Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer on your side.

Some of the possible defenses that can be raised are whether there was an invalid initial stop by the police; whether Improper Field Sobriety Tests were performed; whether Improper Breath Test Procedures were followed; whether there are Inadmissible Breath Test Result; or whether there was a knowing Breath or Chemical Test Refusal. A skilled and experienced Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer knows what to look for in the specific facts of your case and will develop the most effective defense strategies that will help your chance of obtaining a favorable outcome.

The other DUI case is civil proceeding brought against you by the Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue. The civil case is called an Administrative Alcohol Suspension. The civil DUI case involves whether you blew over the legal limit of .08% or whether you refused to submit to a chemical test.

If you submitted to the breath test, you have 15 days after your arrest to request an Administrative Hearing or it is waived and your drivers license will be automatically suspended for a period of 90 days if it is your first DUI Case. The police officer should have gave you a Form 2385.  This is your 15 day Temporary Driving Permit. To avoid this suspension you must request Administrative Hearing or contact a Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer who will fill out the paperwork for you and send it to the Department of Revenue within this 15 day time period. You then will be issued a temporary driving permit that will allow you to continue to drive while your Administrative Hearing is pending.

If you refused the breath or chemical test, the police officer should have gave you a Form 4323. This informs you that you driving privileges will be revoked for one year, 15 days from the date of the notice, unless a Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer files a “Petition for Review” and obtain a “STAY ORDER”. If this is your first DUI offense, the “STAY ORDER” will allow you to continue to drive while your case is pending. A skilled and experienced Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer will look into the facts of your case and develop the most effective defense strategies to help you obtain the most favorable outcome. 

I never charge a fee for an initial consultation because I understand that it is an important step in the process of finding the right Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer for you. Call today to contact my office so we can set up a time to meet face to face with you so I can answer all of your Maplewood DUI defense questions.

Call me at:

DOUGLAS RICHARDS
ATTORNEY AT LAW

9666 Olive Blvd., Ste. 365

St. Louis, MO 63132

314-517-5756

or

636-256-7300

I look forward to sitting down and talking to you face to face, so you can teach me the facts of your case and I can teach you what the law is and what legal defenses and legal tactics that are available to you, so that together, we can achieve the Best Result for you!

DOUGLAS RICHARDS

ATTORNEY AT LAW

I am a Maplewood DUI Defense Lawyer – with over 30 years of experience in handling cases in the City of Maplewood and in the areas of St. Louis County (West County, South County, North County), St. Louis City, St. Charles County, Jefferson County and Franklin County.

 

LINKS

Click Here for the City of Maplewood Website

City of Maplewood Facebook Page

City of Maplewood Municipal Code

Click Here for the City of Maplewood Municipal Court

City of Maplewood Police Department

Official State of Missouri Government Web Page

Missouri Department of Revenue Home Page

 

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