Being charged with a DWI, or driving while intoxicated, is a serious offense. Depending on whether it’s your first offense or you are a repeated offender, your punishment can vary. It’s important to take all charges of DWIs seriously, as failing to recognize the impact that it has on your life can lead to further offenses and increased consequences. To understand your rights as a person convicted of a DWI, consider reaching out to an experienced DWI attorney in Jefferson City.
One of the first consequences after sustaining a charge of a Missouri DWI is a license suspension. If you are caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, you are considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. For minors under the age of 21, any blood alcohol concentration is subjected to DWI penalties. This is because Missouri has a zero-tolerance law in place. For any of these first-offense situations, your license may be suspended for 30 days, followed by 60 days of restricted driving privileges. This means you may only drive to and from work or court-sponsored programs. Your full privileges should be eligible for reinstatement if you’ve paid a reinstatement fee and have completed a SATOP course. For second offenders and higher, your license may be revoked for five or more years depending on what number of offense you are on. License revocations may also be in place for those that refuse to take a blood alcohol test.
If charged with a DWI in Missouri, you can expect to be responsible for fines and penalties. The total cost of your fines will vary depending on the number of DWI offenses you’ve accrued. First-time offenders may be required to pay up to $1,000 in penalties. If after your first offense you are charged with a second DWI, your expected fine may be as high as $2,000. Third-offense penalties may cost you up to $5,000. After your third offense, your fines may not exceed $5,000 for repeated offenses.
Depending on the number of DWI offenses you have on your record, you may or may not be required to submit to jail time. Oftentimes, the court will split jail time and fines or give you either option. In the case of the first offense of a DWI, the person charged may serve up to six months in jail. A second-time offender may serve up to one year in jail, and a third-time offender can face a mandatory 10-day imprisonment followed by up to four years in jail. A fourth offense can land you in jail for one year or at a correctional facility for seven years. Following your third offense comes greater mandatory prison stays of three to ten years, five to fifteen years, and ten to thirty years for the fifth, sixth, and seventh offenses, respectively.
If you believe you received an unfair punishment for your DWI, it could help to work with a DWI attorney. An experienced lawyer like Scott Hamblin can help review your case and guide you through any potential ways to receive a less harsh punishment. To speak with Scott Hamblin about your DWI punishment in Michigan, contact us today.
A Jefferson City man faced DUI charges following a field sobriety test. Charges against the defendant were dropped after Scott successfully maintained the client’s claims that the test results were inaccurate. While the client initially appeared to be in a difficult situation, Scott was able to push investigators to determine the sobriety test results as invalid, so the charges were dismissed.
A mother was seeking sole custody of her children following a divorce. The father refused to cooperate, leaving the client in a difficult situation as she felt as though her children didn’t have a voice. Scott recognized her need for an advocate and carefully listened to the children’s wishes, which conclusively helped the client achieve sole custody of her children and protected their best interests.
A client from Fulton was accused of drug possession as a result of a home search. While drug charges may potentially be filed as a Class C felony involving severe consequences, Scott was able to help the client receive a reduced sentence. Ultimately, the client faced significantly smaller penalties compared to the initial charges.
Scott assisted a defendant in a particularly challenging divorce case in which the other spouse was not cooperating. Scott was able to help the client avoid court through an aggressive legal approach to resolve all outstanding disagreements while maintaining the client’s long-term needs.
One client sought legal assistance after an altercation with another individual in Jefferson City. The client was arrested on assault charges despite allegedly not starting the fight. Since an arrest can lead to life-altering penalties such as being terminated from employment and serving jail time, Scott was able to build a solid legal defense in the client’s favor and argued in favor of the client’s innocence.
A grandparent sought visitation rights to his grandchild after the parent tried to block him. Scott takes grandparents’ rights very seriously, and so he devised a strategy to help the grandparent set a visitation schedule. Scott developed a strategy to show that the child’s best interests were fulfilled through the grandparent’s ability to visit the child, helping push the case towards a resolution in the client’s favor.
Scott assisted a client who was injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence. The defendant claimed that the opposing party using their phone at the time of the crash, and Scott emphasized this claim to show that the other driver was at fault for the client’s injuries. The case concluded with the client receiving the necessary compensation for medical bills following a long hospital stay due to injuries.
My husband and I hired Mr Hamblin for a criminal matter that happen to me by accident I had some issues that happen and I have never been in any trouble. However I did some research on criminal defense attorneys and Mr. Hamblin named appeared. I did some research on him and found that he use to be a prosecuting attorney. Any way making a long story short we hired Mr . Hamblin for my defense lawyer,he did not judge me for what had happened, he provided me with straight foward answers and he knew the law very well I…
Scott did a great job handling our custody case. He fought for us every step of the way and got things done quickly. He even refunded over half of our retainer because he got the case handled quicker than expected. I would recommend him to anyone.
Scott is an extremely knowledgeable lawyer. Gives his 100% on every case.
I'm not sure where the one star review came from, but Scott is a wonderful attorney! He did such a great job, didn't rush me in my consultation and helped me win my case! Thanks again Scott!
Helped my family with a variety of issues!
Scott Hamblin represented my company in a civil litigation. He was incredibly responsive and knowledgeable. His incredible passion to do the very best for his clients was not only apparent it was effective when we were able to gain the results we were looking for. I highly recommend Scott Hamblin for your legal needs.
My husband and I have used Scott as our lawyer for adoption , he was very professional as well as caring in the case. He also helped us with our personal Wills, Durable Power of Attorney, and our Health Directives. He is very thorough and explains everything step by step, and answers any questions you may have to make you feel 100% secure. We would use Scott for all and any matters requiring a lawyer. Thank you Scott, you are a top notch lawyer.
Scott did an excellent job. He was available as needed and always listened. He responded quickly to e-mails or phone calls. He didn't just "tell me what to do." Instead, he listened to my input and helped me make informed decisions. I always felt as though he had time for me as a client.
Scott is very compassionate but honest man. I have known Scott for 10+ years. I met him while fostering children with Cole County Childrens Division. When he became the adoption lawyer for Cole Couuty Childrens Division in 2007 my husband and I was one of the first to use him to become adoptive parents to our then two year old foster son. Our son just turned 13 years old this year. In 2013, he represented my husband and I to get guardianship for our foster daughter. We are beyond blessed to have such a great guy like Scott to represent…
For accessible and experienced representation, contact attorney Scott Hamblin today.
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