Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Francois County, MO

Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Francois County, MO. Being arrested and accused of a crime, even a minor one such as a traffic ticket or DWI, can alter someone’s life for good. Not only will your standing among friends, family, and colleagues be permanently soiled, if found guilty you will be subject to significant penalties ranging from fines to hours spent performing community service to even jail time. Furthermore, if your charges are felonies, if you are convicted your rights as a citizen will be heavily restricted, including the inability to vote or own a firearm.

Having the correct St. Francois County criminal defense lawyer representing you in front of a judge can be what separates your charges being reduced, if not entirely dropped, and having to suffer these penalties. You need a lawyer who gives your case the ultimate in personal attention and care, who will plan out a smart, winning defense strategy tailor-made for your distinct circumstances, and do all that they can to minimize—or even do away with—the effect that criminal charges can have on your life.

The experienced St. Francois County, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte are here to assist St. Francois County-area citizens from all walks of life who are looking at criminal charges minimize the effect they have on their lives, reputations, and freedom. Our standard of providing successful, client-focused legal representation is unrivalled among criminal defense lawyers in St. Francois County. We are ready to talk to you about your case today and offer free, no-strings-attached initial consultations. If you are facing criminal charges and want to put the attorneys at Combs Waterkotte in your corner, give us a call at (314) 900-HELP or contact online today.

A Full-Service St. Francois County, MO Criminal Defense Lawyer

The knowledgeable St. Francois County, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte take a wide variety of case types and criminal charges, such as:

• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Assault/Battery
• Domestic Violence
• Theft/Larceny
• Probation Violations
• Drug Charges

Choosing the right lawyer can be the difference between your case being decided in your way and being deprived of your rights and freedoms. Unlike other St. Francois County criminal defense lawyers, our firm centers our entire experience around complete, total client satisfaction. When you choose Combs Waterkotte, you can rest easy knowing that you can talk to your St. Francois County, MO criminal defense lawyer at any time of day to chat about the facts of your case, how you want to proceed, or anything else. Regardless of where you are, the time of day, or your present circumstances, you will have a direct line to your attorney to be a friendly listener in your time of need.

When Should I Call A Criminal Defense Lawyer?

If you are ever questioned by the police, you may think that if you “lay low” or say the right thing, you will be all right and they will not hassle you further. However, this is a rare occurrence, and you should take any criminal investigation seriously and be ready to call a trusted St. Louis criminal defense lawyer at any time.

It is entirely possible that you may not think you need to talk to a criminal defense lawyer, but calling one could vastly improve the outcome of your case. Here are a few scenarios where calling a St. Francois County defense lawyer is the right thing to do:

• When officers “just want to ask questions”. If you were at the scene of a crime and had nothing at all to do with it, it’s logical to talk to the police. However, you still need to watch your mouth, as the police did not directly see what happened: after all, this is why they are looking for witnesses to begin with. An inexperienced or overzealous officer could see your account the wrong way and think that you are a person of interest. If police want your eyewitness account, request if you can make an appointment with a detective. This way, you can talk to an attorney, go over what you saw and how you were involved, and make sure what you say to the police leaves no doubt that you were just a bystander. If the facts of your case are murky and could possibly place you under suspicion, you may want to hire a criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights.
• When police want you to sign something. Police cannot force you to do anything unless they have a genuine hunch that you committed a crime. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution grants you protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and greatly limits their ability to obtain search warrants or make you grant access to personal information. However, police will occasionally ask you to sign “releases”, which allow them to get blood tests or scans to see if you had drugs or alcohol in your bloodstream. If the police want you to sign one of these documents, politely decline and ask to talk with a lawyer. Voluntarily permitting the police to obtain access to these records, even if they did not have a legitimate reason to ask for them, automatically renders them admissible in court as evidence, so it is crucial to know your rights at all times.
• When you have been arrested for a crime. This is the most logical time you need a criminal defense lawyer in St. Francois County, MO. If you are ever actually detained by the police, you should immediately invoke your right to remain silent, tell them that you do not want to answer any interrogation without a lawyer by your side, and call a St. Francois County criminal defense lawyer who can help you stand up against charges and accusations.

Fixing Traffic Tickets In St. Francois County, MO

If there’s one thing that St. Francois County drivers do not want to see on their rear bumper, it’s the unmistakable sight of police sirens pulling them over for a moving violation. Motorists all around St. Francois County, MO know that local municipal law enforcement uses traffic tickets not to punish reckless drivers, but sometimes as additional revenue sources (especially if the town you were pulled over in has a declining property tax base, or indeed does not levy property tax on homeowners).

Being given a traffic ticket in St. Francois County, MO isn’t just a pain, it’s also a drain on your finances. If you elect to pay your St. Francois County traffic ticket, you effectively plead guilty to the charges against you and they go on your driving record. Depending on the degree of your offense, you could be facing a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and your car insurance premiums will greatly increase. Tickets generally cannot be removed from your driving record for at least three years, as well, which means that if you are pulled over again during this window you could be subject to stiffer penalties.

An increasing number of St. Francois County drivers are choosing Combs Waterkotte as their St. Francois County traffic ticket lawyer, and for good reason. Combs Waterkotte brings unparalleled legal acumen to every one of its cases, even minor moving violations. Our firm works non-stop to make sure that the charges on your traffic ticket are brought down to non-moving violations (which, once paid, do not stay on your record or influence insurance rates) or have your ticket dismissed due to an irregularity in your stop. Most importantly, our exceptional St. Francois County traffic ticket lawyer services come at an exceptional value: just $49.99 for most cases, allowing you access to first-rate legal services at a price you would not expect. If you have recently been issued a traffic ticket in St. Francois County, MO and do not want it to stay on your driving record, call us now at (314) 900-HELP to speak with our firm and begin the process of fixing your St. Francois County traffic ticket.

Other cases we take on in St. Francois County, MO include:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Contact Trusted St. Francois County, MO Criminal Defense Lawyers | Combs Waterkotte

When you have been charged with a crime, ranging from a small traffic ticket for rolling a stop sign to grave felonies, talk to a knowledgeable St. Francois County, MO criminal defense lawyer at Combs Waterkotte first. Call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to set up a free consultation. Our firm is ready to talk with you at a time that fits your schedule to help you defend yourself against criminal indictments and keep your hard-earned reputation amongst your community.