Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Charles, MO. Being arrested and accused of a crime, even a seemingly insignificant one such as a moving violation or driving while intoxicated, can alter someone’s life for good. Not only will your reputation among colleagues, friends, and family be permanently changed, if found guilty you will be subject to substantial penalties varying from fines to time spent performing community service to even jail time. Also, if your charges are felonies, a conviction means your rights as a citizen will be heavily limited, including a prohibition on voting or owning a firearm.
Having the ideal St. Charles criminal defense lawyer representing you in a court of law can be what separates your charges being lowered, if not completely eliminated, and having to suffer these punishments. You need a lawyer who gives your case the best in personal attention and care, who will plan out an intelligent, successful defense strategy custom-made for your own circumstances, and do everything in their power to minimize—or even eliminate—the effect that criminal charges can have on your life.
The experienced St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte are here to assist St. Charles-area citizens from all walks of life who are looking at criminal charges limit the effect they have on their reputation, freedoms, and lives. Our standard of offering successful, client-focused legal representation is unequaled among criminal defense lawyers in St. Charles. We are ready to talk to you about your case today and offer free, no-obligation initial consultations. If you are facing criminal charges and want to put the attorneys at Combs Waterkotte to work for you, call us at (314) 900-HELP or get in touch with us online today.
St. Charles County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in St. Charles County and Missouri.
A Full-Service St. Charles, MO Criminal Defense Lawyer
The knowledgeable St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte handle a wide array of case types and criminal charges, including:
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Assault/Battery
- Domestic Violence
- Theft/Larceny
- Probation Violations
- Drug Charges
Choosing the right lawyer can make the difference between your case going in your favor and losing your rights and freedoms. Unlike other St. Charles criminal defense lawyers, our firm centers our entire experience around complete, total client satisfaction. When you choose Combs Waterkotte, you can rest assured that you can talk to your St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyer at any time of day to talk about the facts of your case, legal strategy, or any other topic. No matter where you are, the time of day, or your current situation, you will have a dedicated line to your attorney to listen and understand you in your time of need.
When Should I Call A Criminal Defense Lawyer?
If you are ever questioned by the police, you may believe that if you “lay low” or say the right thing, you will be fine and they will not give you any more trouble. However, this situation happens rarely, if ever, and you should take any criminal investigation seriously and be ready to talk to an experienced St. Louis criminal defense lawyer at any time.
It is entirely possible that you may not think that it is necessary to talk to a criminal defense lawyer, but calling one could vastly improve the circumstances of your case. Here are a few scenarios where calling a St. Charles defense lawyer is the right thing to do:
- When investigators “just want to ask questions”. If you were near the scene of a crime and were in no way involved it, it’s fine to talk to the police. However, you still need to watch what you say, as the police did not directly witness the crime: after all, this is why they are talking to you to begin with. An inexperienced or excited officer could see your statement 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 the officer. This way, you can call an attorney, discuss what you saw and how you fit into the situation, and make sure what you tell the police leaves no doubt that you were just a bystander. If the facts of your case are not clear and could lead to you being a person of interest, you may want to hire a criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights.
- When police want you to sign something. Police cannot compel you to do anything unless they have a genuine suspicion that you committed a crime. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution gives you protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and heavily sanctions their power to get search warrants or force you to grant access to personal information. But, police will sometimes ask you to sign “releases”, which permit them to get blood work or scans to see if you had drugs or alcohol in your system. If the police want you to sign one of these forms, politely decline and request to talk with a lawyer. Voluntarily permitting the police to gain access to these records, even if they did not have a legitimate reason to request 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 obvious time you need a criminal defense lawyer in St. Charles, MO. If you are ever actually detained by the police, you should immediately invoke your right to remain silent, say that you do not want to answer any interrogation without a lawyer by your side, and call a St. Charles criminal defense lawyer who can help you defend yourself against charges and accusations.
Fixing Traffic Tickets In St. Charles, MO
If there’s one thing that St. Charles drivers do not want to see in their rear-view mirror, it’s the unmistakable sight of police sirens pulling them over for something they did on the roads. Motorists all over St. Charles, MO know that local municipal police departments use traffic enforcement not to punish reckless drivers, but sometimes as a way to fill city coffers (especially if the town you were pulled over in has a declining property tax base, or indeed does not have a property tax at all).
Getting a traffic ticket in St. Charles, MO isn’t just a nuisance, it’s also a drain on your finances. If you choose to pay your St. Charles traffic ticket, you indirectly plead guilty to the charges you were accused of and they go on your driving record. Depending on the degree of your offense, you could be looking at a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and your car insurance premiums will drastically increase. Tickets usually cannot be struck from your driving record for at least three years, as well, meaning that if you are pulled over once again during this period you could be subject to stiffer penalties.
An increasing number of St. Charles drivers are choosing Combs Waterkotte as their St. Charles traffic ticket lawyer, and with good cause. Combs Waterkotte brings unmatched legal intelligence to every single one of its cases, even minor moving violations. Our firm works tirelessly to make sure that the charges on your traffic ticket are brought down to non-moving violations (which, after you’ve paid them, do not stay on your record or influence insurance premiums) or have your ticket dismissed due to police error. Most importantly, our exceptional St. Charles traffic ticket lawyer services come at an exceptional value, providing you access to premier legal services at a price you can afford If you have recently been given a traffic ticket in St. Charles, 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. Charles traffic ticket.
Other cases we take on in St. Charles, MO include:
Contact Experienced St. Charles, MO Criminal Defense Lawyers | Combs Waterkotte
When you have been charged with a crime, ranging from a simple traffic ticket for rolling a stop sign to serious felonies, talk to a skilled St. Charles, MO criminal defense lawyer at Combs Waterkotte first. Call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to book a free case review. Our firm is ready to chat with you at any time to help you defend yourself against criminal indictments and keep your hard-earned reputation amongst family and friends.
