Maplewood, MO DUI Lawyers

We all have moments in our lives that we will never forget, and moments that we would like to forget. My guess is that this DUI arrest will likely be the latter. No matter what the circumstances surrounding your arrest, the immediate and long-term consequences could affect your life in profoundly negative ways. No doubt you’ve already felt some of the effects of your arrest, and you’ll likely experience many more if you’re convicted of DUI.

The one thing you can do to protect yourself is to hire an experienced, knowledgeable attorney to fight for you. As they say, ‘Nothing is quite so exhilarating as to be shot at and missed.’ You might feel like you have a  target painted on your back, but here’s the good news: we’re going to do everything we can to make sure you don’t get hit. We’ve been in the trenches for our clients plenty of times, and we know the tricks of the trade. We will do everything in our power to get your charges reduced or dropped.

We’ll do that free phone call that got you out of jail one better. We’ll give you a free consultation, so you can stay out of jail! Call our Maplewood, MO, DUI lawyers right away and learn how we can help you.

Consequences Of A First Time DUI Conviction

Depending on how you choose to handle it as well as the circumstances surrounding your arrest, there are a couple of ways things could shake out for you. We will assume that your DUI arrest was a first-time offense, that you were not involved in an accident, and that you were pulled over for going a little over the speed limit, and failed your field sobriety test(s). For our example, we will also assume that you didn’t refuse to take a breath test and that the results of the test were above the legal limit. (If any of these assumptions are incorrect, we can still help you, but what you’re facing looks different.)

Worst Case Scenario

Considering these factors, you might choose to handle the situation without the assistance of a lawyer. You could choose to pay the fine and enter a guilty plea. What is the worst thing that could happen? Let’s take a look. Here is what you might get:

• Six months in jail, or two years probation
• A court ordered substance abuse program at your expense
• $500 fine
• A permanent mark on your criminal record
• A court ordered ignition interlock device for your vehicle
• An increase in your insurance rates for at least three years
• A 60 day suspension of your driver’s license (refusal to take a breath test will be up to 1 year)
• The loss of your job, and/or difficulty securing future employment

Of course, any changes to our example would most likely result in a worse outcome. Additional offenses, accidents or injuries, refusal to submit to a breath test, higher levels of intoxication, and other factors may lead to increased sentences and/or fines.

Best Case Scenario

Using the same criteria listed above, you instead decide to hire an experienced lawyer to represent you, plead not guilty, and go to trial. Your lawyer is able to negotiate a lesser sentence than you could have received on your own due to their relationship with the prosecutor, local judge and court, as well as their knowledge of the law. Your lawyer may be able to convince the prosecutor to reduce the charges to a lesser offense that would not result in a criminal record, or to drop the charges altogether. You may be able to avoid jail time and only be required to pay a small fine and attend a substance abuse program. They may be able to attack the accuracy of the field sobriety tests, or the reliability of the chemical test, or other factors that would result in a dismissal.

That would mean:

• No jail time
• No fines
• No criminal record
• No suspension of your driver’s license
• No substance abuse program
• No increase in insurance premiums
• No ignition interlock device installed in your car
• No loss of employment

It is unlikely that you could completely avoid all of these penalties, even in the best-case scenario, especially without the help of our accomplished Maplewood, MO, DUI lawyers. The best-case scenario would be if your attorney could successfully have the charges dropped. Even if they are successful in reducing your charges to a less serious infraction, that is still preferable to the alternative!

Michael Reid Legal Solutions Is The Wise Choice!

So what will it be, then? Are you ready to gamble with your future and your life, knowing that you will almost certainly get a permanent stain on your criminal record? Are you willing to face the potential for jail time, license suspension, and numerous other repercussions from a DUI conviction? We understand that these are scary questions, and the answers are not always simple.

If your situation is like the one above, or if it differs from the one mentioned above, and you would like to receive a clear understanding of your current standing, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We are here to address any concerns you may have and provide you with an honest evaluation of your situation, as well as potential courses of action for moving forward. Take advantage of our free consultation. Responding to a DUI is time-sensitive, so don’t wait to call us!