Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Joseph, MO

Criminal Defense Lawyer St. Joseph, MO. Getting charged with a crime, even a minor one such as a moving violation or DWI, can change someone’s life permanently. Not only will your reputation among friends, family, and colleagues be permanently soiled, if found guilty you will be subject to substantial penalties ranging from fines to hours spent performing community service to even jail time. Furthermore, 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. Joseph criminal defense lawyer representing you in front of a judge can be what separates your charges being lowered, if not entirely dropped, and having to suffer these punishments. You need a lawyer who gives your case the ultimate in personal care and attention, who will develop an intelligent, successful defense strategy tailor-made for your own circumstances, and do all that they can to minimize—or even eliminate—the effect that criminal charges can have on your life.

The experienced St. Joseph, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte are here to help St. Joseph-area citizens from all walks of life who are looking at criminal charges limit the effect they have on their lives, reputations, and freedom. Our standard of offering successful, client-focused legal representation is unrivalled among criminal defense lawyers in St. Joseph. We are waiting 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, call us at (314) 900-HELP or get in touch with us online today.

A Full-Service St. Joseph, MO Criminal Defense Lawyer

The knowledgeable St. Joseph, MO criminal defense lawyers at Combs Waterkotte handle a extensive array of case types and criminal charges, such as:

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

Finding the right lawyer can be the difference between your case being decided in your favor and being deprived of your rights and freedoms. In contrast with other St. Joseph 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 call your St. Joseph, 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. No matter where you are, what time it is, or your current situation, 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 ever get in trouble with the police, you may believe 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 talk to a veteran St. Louis criminal defense lawyer at any time.

It is 100% possible that you may not think you need to talk to a criminal defense lawyer, but calling one could vastly improve the circumstances of your case. Here are a few instances where calling a St. Joseph defense lawyer is the right decision:

• When officers “just want to ask questions”. If you were near the scene of a crime and were in no way involved it, it’s logical to talk to the police. However, you still need to watch what you say, as the police did not directly see what happened: after all, this is why they are looking for witnesses in the first place. An inexperienced or excited officer could take your statement the wrong way and think that you are a person of interest. If police want your eyewitness account, ask them 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 an innocent bystander. If the facts of your case are murky and could lead to you being a person of interest, you should hire a criminal defense lawyer to safeguard your rights.
• When police want you to sign paperwork. Police cannot order you to do anything unless they have a reasonable hunch that you committed a crime. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution grants you protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and greatly limits their power to obtain search warrants or force you to grant access to personal information. However, police will sometimes ask you to sign “releases”, which permit 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 forms, politely decline and ask to speak with a lawyer. Voluntarily permitting the police to obtain access to these records, even if they did not have a good reason to request them, automatically renders them admissible in court as evidence, so it is critical 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. Joseph, MO. If you are ever taken into custody by the police, you should immediately invoke your right to remain silent, tell them that you do not want to answer any questions without a lawyer in the room, and call a St. Joseph criminal defense lawyer who can help you stand up against charges and accusations.

Fixing Traffic Tickets In St. Joseph, MO

If there’s one thing that St. Joseph drivers do not want to see behind them, it’s the distinctive sight of police sirens pulling them over for a moving violation. Motorists all over St. Joseph, MO know that local municipal police departments use traffic tickets not to punish reckless drivers, but sometimes as a way to fill city coffers (especially if the municipality you were pulled over in has a dwindling property tax base, or indeed does not levy property tax on homeowners).

Being written a traffic ticket in St. Joseph, MO isn’t just a nuisance, it’s also a financial penalty. If you choose to pay your St. Joseph traffic ticket, you effectively 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 staring down a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and your car insurance premiums will drastically increase. Tickets generally cannot be expunged from your driving record for at least three years, as well, which means that if you are pulled over another time during this period you could be looking at harsher penalties.

Many St. Joseph drivers are choosing Combs Waterkotte as their St. Joseph traffic ticket lawyer, and with good reason. Combs Waterkotte brings unmatched legal knowledge to all its cases, even minor moving violations. Our firm works non-stop to ensure that the charges on your traffic ticket are brought down to non-moving violations (which, once paid, are removed from your record or affect insurance rates) or have your ticket dismissed due to police not following proper procedure. Best of all, our exceptional St. Joseph traffic ticket lawyer services come at an exceptional value: just $49.99 for most cases, allowing you access to premier legal services at a price you would not expect. If you have recently been written a traffic ticket in St. Joseph, 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 start the process of fixing your St. Joseph traffic ticket.

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

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

Contact Seasoned St. Joseph, MO Criminal Defense Lawyers | Combs Waterkotte

When you have been charged with a crime, ranging from a simple traffic ticket for not properly changing lanes to serious felonies, talk to a knowledgeable St. Joseph, MO criminal defense lawyer at Combs Waterkotte first. Call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to set up a free case review. Our firm is ready to talk with you at any time to help you defend yourself against criminal accusations and keep your hard-won reputation amongst friends and in the community.