Missouri DUI Defense Lawyer

I am Douglas Richards, a Missouri 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.

You have been arrested and charged for driving while the influence of alcohol or drugs. What do you do now? What is going to happen to your drivers license? Will you still be allowed to drive? Are you going to jail? Who do you call for the legal help you need? Those are just some of the questions you may have.

A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) offense is taken very seriously in the State of Missouri and in the areas of St Louis County, St. Louis City, St Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Lincoln County and Warren County. You need a Missouri DUI Defense Lawyer who is equally as serious and dedicated to provide you the best possible outcome for your case.

For over the past 30 years, I have successfully defended people who have been charged with DWI – Driving While Intoxicated and/or DUI – Driving Under the Influence throughout the areas of St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Lincoln County, Warren County and many other areas in the State of Missouri. If you or a family member have been charged with a DUI, you deserve to have an experienced and dedicated Missouri DUI Defense Lawyer on your side.

Call me at:

DOUGLAS RICHARDS
ATTORNEY AT LAW

9666 Olive Blvd., Ste. 365

St. Louis, MO 63132

314-517-5756

or

636-256-7300

You Have Been Arrested and Charged with a DUI. What is going to happen to your drivers license?

Missouri DUI Defense Lawyer. When you are charged with a DUI in the State of Missouri, 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 or County where you were arrested in. The criminal DUI case is handled by the Prosecuting Attorney for that specific City or County area. 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 experience Missouri 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 charges a fee for an initial consultation because I understand that it is an important step in the process of finding the right Missouri DUI Defense Lawyer for you. Call me today so we can set up a time to meet face to face with you so I can answer all of your Missouri DUI Defense questions.