After a DWI conviction, in Missouri there are specific punishments that will be imposed upon you. These penalties include a 90 day license suspension. How this actually works is that you have the right to request a restricted license after 30 days. Essentially, driver's license suspension is part of all DWI convictions, and the length of time your license is suspended will be based upon your prior record, and whether accidents, injuries or fatalities took place. The process is initiated as soon as you are arrested. You will be given 15 days from the time of your arrest to request an Administrative Hearing to contest the suspension of your license.
There are cases in which an arrest for DWI has serious problems; law enforcement may have violated rights in the initial stop; there could be errors in the testing methods used; the defendant may have a specific medical condition that could impact testing results; the arrest procedure itself may have had errors; the testing unit may have been faulty; and others.
Many people don't realize that it may be possible to retain your driver's license when these errors have taken place. A large number of defendants just plead guilty and take the punishment. You owe it to yourself to have your case reviewed before making a decision that will impact your life in such a significant way. No one wants seriously impaired drivers on the road, but law enforcement also must be held accountable if they violate rights or fail to adhere to correct police procedure, or have failed to maintain the equipment used to identify intoxicated drivers. At the Sumner Law Group, LLC, a St. Louis criminal defense law firm, our duty to our clients is to analyze the situation and determine whether there are defense options that could be employed to avoid conviction, as well as to take action to preserve the legal right to drive.