Driving is a privilege in Missouri, just as it is in all the other states. For this reason, when you sign up for a driver’s license, you will be providing implied consent to a couple of things. One of these is the consent to yield to a chemical test if you are...
DWI
DWI
Why might police think a driver is drunk?
Police officers will be watching the roads closely throughout the holiday season. They want to ensure that they don’t allow impaired drivers on the roads, but this could mean that they pull over people who haven’t been drinking. Police officers need to have...
The financial impact of a DWI conviction
When you are convicted of driving while intoxicated, your freedom is not the only thing on the line. Your finances, too, can be affected by a DWI conviction in several ways. It is an often-overlooked consequence since people tend to focus more on other drunk driving...
Not your first DWI? Here’s what to expect in Missouri
Driving while intoxicated is a serious offense. Missouri imposes both criminal and administrative penalties on those who drive while drunk, because their actions put themselves and others at risk of serious harm or death. Criminally, the laws in the state allow the...
What is “chemical revocation” in Missouri?
All states have “implied consent” laws that stipulate that by having a driver’s license, you consent to taking a chemical test to determine whether you’re impaired by alcohol and/or drugs if a law enforcement officer stops you. Often, this is a Breathalyzer-type test...
How will a Missouri DWI affect your driver’s license?
Whether you plead guilty or go to court and get convicted, driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Missouri means big penalties. You could go to jail or wind up on probation. You will probably have to pay a fine and deal with higher insurance costs. You will also very...
You can’t ignore the risks of a first-time DWI charge
When someone breaks the law, they face arrest if they get caught and criminal consequences if the state successfully prosecutes them. Certain offenses seem more serious to the average person than others. Violent offenses like assault could seem more severe than...
Can you refuse a breath test during a DWI traffic stop?
You probably know that police officers who pull you over because they suspect that you are driving while intoxicated (DWI) hope to build a case against you. The officers will talk to you and try to gather evidence so that they can arrest you and then prosecutors can...
Is there an interaction between coffee and alcohol?
If you’ve ever been too drunk to drive and noted that you wanted to sober up quickly, odds are that someone told you to buy a cup of coffee. They may have even repeated the common refrain that caffeine can sober you up and make driving safe. Is that true? Simply put,...
What leads to a DUI stop? Reasonable suspicion
Police officers need to have a reason to pull over a vehicle. They can't initiate a traffic stop just because they feel like bothering someone. In the case of a drunk driving stop, the officer will usually only need to have reasonable suspicion to initiate the stop. ...