DUI & DWI

Driving Under the Influence

When an individual is stopped/arrested upon probable cause that they were driving a vehicle while their blood alcohol level was over the legal limit, two separate sections of Missouri law govern the arrest and suspension/revocation of the driving privilege.

Criminal Alcohol Law
This law deals with the ticket that was issued. If an individual is convicted of an alcohol offense, the court sends a copy of the conviction to the department, and the proper points are assessed to the individual’s driving record. Subsequently, an individual’s driving privilege may be suspended or revoked for accumulation of points. 

Administrative Alcohol Law
This law initiates a suspension or revocation of the driving privilege if an individual’s blood alcohol content level is over the legal limit. This is an automatic suspension/revocation (unless appealed and won through the Administrative Hearing or Trial DeNovo process) even if the ticket was disposed of in court or reduced to a lesser charge. 

A DUI conviction can have a significant, far-reaching impact on your life. Penalties for a DUI conviction are substantial and include license suspension or revocation, expensive fines, probation, DUI education courses, significant increases in insurance costs and possible incarceration. 

The laws governing DUI/DWI are complicated and time sensitive, we would strongly suggest you seek legal counsel as soon as you have been sited for one of these offenses. It may tremendoulsy impact the outcome of your case.