We're dedicated to protecting the rights of drivers in Jefferson County, St. Louis, Arnold, St. Genevieve and the surrounding counties.
An arrest and prosecution for Driving While Intoxicated, or Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, can affect both your ability to drive and your freedom.
DWI laws are confusing, complex, and constantly changing. If you’ve been charged with Driving While Intoxicated, you need an experienced DWI / DUI attorney immediately.
The Lowry Law Firm is committed to defending and winning DWI cases. When people are arrested for DWI, not only are they likely to have criminal charges, where jail time is a potential consequence, but also, the Department of Revenue is likely to attempt to suspend or revoke their driving privileges. When we defend DWI cases, we are dedicated to protecting clients’ rights in court against the criminal charges and preserving our clients’ driving privileges by taking action against the Department of Revenue.
Penalties for DWI can be harsh, but an arrest for DWI does not have to result in a conviction.
Contacting us immediately following an arrest is crucial. Time is of the essence. We work quickly and aggressively to protect your rights, and we take the necessary steps to begin preparing a strong defense to maintain your driving privilege after a DWI arrest.
We know the procedures that the police officers are required to follow when making a stop and arrest.
We understand the science involved in breath, blood, and urine tests. We know how to analyze and attack the reliability, accuracy, and admissibility of those tests and have extensive training in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs). In fact, Mr. Lowry was certified to administer SFSTs under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. Law enforcement officers throughout the State of Missouri are trained according to NHTSA standards. Our firm will engage in extensive pre-trial investigation and discovery to find evidence potentially favorable to the defense of your case.
Driving under the influence of drugs, particularly marijuana, is an increasingly common charged offense. Our attorneys know the weaknesses in those cases and attack them accordingly to ensure our clients are obtaining proper legal representation. If you are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, contact us immediately. We will not only protect your rights, but also enforce them.
In addition to defending criminal charges against you, whether in Arnold, Festus, Hillsboro, or other areas, our Jefferson County DWI / DUI attorneys will fight to preserve your driving privilege, whether you refuse or supply a breath, blood, or urine sample. We will answer any and all questions you have concerning an appeal of a license suspension or revocation. In Missouri, timing on an appeal of a license suspension or revocation is crucial. We will file the proper documents to challenge the suspension or revocation and represent you at the hearing.
If you have one or more prior DWI arrests or pleas of guilty, it is essential that you seek legal representation from a qualified Jefferson County DUI/DWI lawyer—an attorney who has the experience to know the law as it applies to those with prior alcohol-related contacts. In some cases, jail time is required by state statute; however, some people may qualify for special alternatives. Additionally, depending on the outcome of your case, you may lose your driver’s license for up to ten (10) years or be required to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. To potentially avoid these consequences, it is critical that you contact our office immediately.
Arrests for driving while intoxicated do not have to ruin your life. Let a seasoned Jefferson County DWI / DUI attorney help you.
Police look for a wide variety of clues that a driver has been drinking. They include wide turns, crossing or straddling the center line, near collisions, weaving, swerving, driving too slowly, responding to traffic signals too slowly, stopping for no reason, following too closely, inconsistent turn signal use, driving without lights, and alternating speeds.
Typical signs of intoxication include a flushed face; red, watery or glassy eyes; an odor of alcohol; slurred speech; fumbling for identification and insurance documents; swaggering; combative attitude; disorderly clothing; inability to understand or follow directions; and uncertainty about your location or time.
Police cannot force you to answer incriminating questions. Any incriminating information you give may hurt your criminal case. You may simply say you prefer to speak with an attorney before answering any questions, although you have no right to speak with an attorney at that point. Your apparent “lack of cooperation,” however, may aggravate the police officer.
You have no right to speak to an attorney prior to deciding if you will submit to field sobriety tests.
You face at least three (3) adverse consequences if you refuse to submit to a breath or blood test (or urine if neither is available or if drugs are suspected):(1) Your driver’s license may be suspended for one (1) year for a first refusal. You may qualify for a hardship after ninety (90) days of the revocation has passed.(2)Your license will be revoked for a period of one (1) year for a second refusal that occurs within five (5) years of a first alcohol related contact. You will not qualify for a hardship under a one (1) year revocation.(3) The fact of refusing can be introduced at trial as evidence of “consciousness of guilt.” Of course, the defense is free to offer other reasons for the refusal, such as fear of needles or inability to blow into the machine hard enough.Thus, the decision is one of weighing the likelihood of an incriminating blood-alcohol result against the consequences of refusing.
Your driver’s license may be suspended for thirty (30) days. For that thirty (30) days you will have no driving privilege. You may qualify for a limited driving privilege for the next sixty (60) days on a first administrative action. Your license will be revoked for a period of one (1) year for a second administrative action that occurs within five (5) years of a first alcohol related contact. You will not qualify for a hardship on a one (1) year revocation.
Not necessarily. If an officer fails to inform you of your 5th Amendment right to remain silent or a “Miranda” warning after he arrests you, prosecutors will likely not be permitted to use any statements you made following your arrest in a trial on the matter. That does not, however, mean that you cannot be prosecuted or that a dismissal will occur. A Miranda violation potentially suppresses statements, however, it does not necessarily cause an action to be dismissed.
Of more significance in most cases is an officer’s failure to advise you of the Missouri Implied Consent Law – that is, your legal obligation to take a chemical test and the consequences if you refuse. This can affect the suspension of your license.
It is possible, but not advisable, for you to represent yourself if you are charged with driving while intoxicated. DWI defense is very complex, constantly changing, and a conviction or plea of guilty comes with increasingly serious consequences. Procedural, evidentiary, constitutional, sentencing and administrative license issues can present challenges for those inexperienced in DWI defense.
A qualified DWI defense attorney can take a host of beneficial actions, including reviewing the case for defects, suppressing evidence, compelling discovery of such things as calibration and maintenance records for the breath machine, having blood samples independently analyzed, negotiating for a lesser charge or reduced sentence, obtaining expert testimony for trial, perform depositions, and contesting the administrative license suspension, among other things.
Multiple factors can impact the cost of your case – whether your charge is a misdemeanor or felony, whether you have any prior arrests, convictions, or prior pleas of guilty, whether an expert is needed, and if the case will be resolved by plea bargain or by trial. We will provide a written estimate at your request and explain any pertinent terms to you.
4633 Yeager Road
Hillsboro, Missouri 63050
636-797-3131
615 Collins Drive
Festus, Missouri 63028
636-931-8787