St. Louis Traffic Lawyer

You were pulled over and received a ticket from the police, now what do you do? A St. Louis traffic lawyer with JCS Law helps fix Missouri traffic tickets.

If you just pay your ticket or plead guilty, there could be numerous consequences, including; points on your license, loss of driving privileges from the Department of Revenue, higher car insurance rates, higher life insurance rates, or even jail time. Don’t delay, call a criminal defense lawyer with JCS Law today, and we’ll help you fix your Missouri traffic tickets.

St. Louis traffic lawyer

LET'S TALK

What are common traffic law violations in St. Louis?

Missouri traffic crimes range from misdemeanor issues like expired tags to serious felonies, like driving under the influence and causing the death of another person. We defend you against:

Speeding
Running a red light (See red light camera info for photo/camera tickets)
No insurance
Expired plates
Driving while suspended or revoked
CDL traffic offenses
Stop sign violation
Wrong way driving
Failure to yield
Accident tickets
Improper signal
Following too close
Improper turn or U-turn
Drag racing

Traffic crime lawyer services in St. Louis

You don’t have to have a St. Louis criminal defense attorney represent you in traffic court. But, if you want a better outcome for your case or your ticket dismissed, an St. Louis traffic lawyer who truly understands traffic laws and is skilled in negotiating with prosecutors gives you a much bigger advantage.

Below are just some of the services that our skilled St. Louis traffic ticket lawyer provides.

Representing your interests

Missouri rules of evidence are complex. If you want certain pieces of evidence presented to defend your innocence, you have to follow evidentiary laws. And, if there is questionable evidence against you that the judge shouldn’t consider, your lawyer challenges it, either by asking the judge to exclude it or questioning if it’s legitimate.

We guide you through the process and represent your interests – not the state’s; not the traffic cop’s.

Investigating

JCS Law has the resources to thoroughly investigate your traffic ticket. Perhaps the method used to determine if you were speeding was flawed – we know how to tell if the speeding gun was broken. Or maybe a guided intersection wasn’t clearly marked – we’ll take pictures to prove it and challenge your citation. We may discover that you shouldn’t have been ticketed or present enough doubt into the matter to get your charges reduced.

Potential rights violations

Were your rights violated during the traffic stop? You could be a victim of unlawful arrest. Perhaps the officer had no reasonable suspicion to pull you over or probable cause to arrest you. Maybe your car was unlawfully searched. If we prove this, then anything the officer finds could be excluded as evidence.

As your St. Louis traffic lawyer, our job is to protect your constitutional rights and advocate for you if they were violated.

Plea bargaining

Prosecutors are well-known to overcharge defendants in criminal cases. If you were charged with heavier crimes than your actions actually warrant, we negotiate to have the charges reduced.

A plea bargain could mean that you plead guilty to a misdemeanor instead of being charged with a felony. Or, we negotiate for a lighter penalty, like probation or a restricted license, instead of jail time.

Defense strategies

We have many strategies up our sleeves to prepare a solid defense for you. What we do depends on your situation. Many times we:

Dispute the accuracy of a blood alcohol content testing device (breathalyzer)
Question the results of a field sobriety test – these are often administered incorrectly
Prove a lack of reasonable suspicion for the officer to have pulled you over in the first place
Provide there was no probable cause for your arrest
Challenge the authenticity of evidence presented against you
State there is insufficient evidence for arresting or charging you

As noted above, your constitutional rights may have been violated during the traffic stop. If you were:

Not advised of your Miranda rights
Coerced into giving a statement to police when you didn’t want to say anything
Your truck or car was illegally searched
You were not given a lawyer when you asked for one

Then we argue for your case to be dismissed. How we defend you depends on the charge and the facts we uncover in our independent investigation.

St. Louis traffic attorney can help you when you have been charged during a traffic stop

Sentence negotiation

Sometimes the best possible outcome in a St. Louis traffic crimes charge is for you to have the least restrictive penalty for pleading guilty. A fine or point on your license is a lot better than jail.

Even negotiating less jail time is a better outcome that you’re more likely to get with a lawyer than you would without one.

If you drive professionally, though, points on your license could mean you lose your commercial license. We can find ways to help you avoid this, too.

What is the legal process for traffic crimes in St. Louis?

You’re worried about what’s going to happen after a serious traffic crime. This is normal – but trust the criminal defense attorneys with JCS Law. We prepare you for each step and give you professional advice to protect you at every turn.

1. Arrest and booking

More serious traffic crimes, like an accident involving bodily injury or a DUI or DWI charge, usually involve an arrest. You’ll be placed in police custody and booked in the local jail. You may be required to stay in jail until the police process you, including fingerprinting and taking a mugshot. Once that’s done, you should be able to bond out within a few hours.

2. Arraignment

An arraignment is a hearing before a judge, where you are formally charged with the traffic crime(s) you were arrested for. You, or your St. Louis traffic lawyer, enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty. You may have a bond hearing at this time, too, if you have not already bailed out of jail.

Suppose you and your lawyer have already negotiated a plea arrangement with the prosecutor. In that case, you’ll plead guilty at this time, serve the agreed penalties, and not face any other court appearances.

3. Pre-trial motions

Nothing happens in a Missouri court case without a motion by either the defense or the prosecution. Motions are formal requests of the court, such as a motion to exclude evidence or a motion to dismiss the charges. Pre-trial motions refer to motions by either side as they prepare for the trial.

4. Plea bargaining

You can enter a plea bargain, wherein you plead guilty for a lesser offense than you were charged with, at any point before the trial begins.

5. Trial

We always prepare our clients’ cases anticipating a trial. We complete the discovery process, or formal questioning of witnesses under oath, and build the case for your defense. You may testify at trial, or we may advise against it. We work with you to construct a strong case and only take actions you’re comfortable with. Your case may be heard either before a jury or only before a judge, which is called a bench trial, depending on your charge.

6. Sentencing

If you don’t win at trial, you’ll be sentenced according to Missouri Criminal Code parameters.

Consequences and penalties

Consequences of a traffic crimes conviction in Missouri range from fines and points on your driver’s license to a felony conviction if you caused an accident that injured or killed someone else.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Motor Vehicle Offense Handbook contains the complete list of all traffic-related crimes and penalties in Missouri.

What is the cost of hiring a St. Louis traffic lawyer?

Each St. Louis traffic lawyer sets their own rate; at JCS Law, we will discuss our fee scale during your initial free consultation. However, consider the consequences of not hiring a traffic crimes lawyer:

You could end up with enough points on your license that it’s suspended
You could pay thousands of dollars in fines and court costs
Your license could be automatically suspended or revoked as part of your criminal penalties
You could go to jail or prison for years

If you hold a Class C or other commercial vehicle license, your livelihood could be impacted by a traffic crimes conviction. Many trucking companies will not hire someone with a record of traffic crimes. Furthermore, if you are convicted of a felony and hold a professional license, like nursing or law, you could also have your professional license suspended.

Why hire JCS Law

The JCS Law legal team is composed of skilled St. Louis criminal defense attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of Missouri drivers accused of traffic crimes. We offer a vigorous defense of your rights when you’ve been accused of a crime – and our strong case results speak for themselves.

When you work with our St. Louis criminal defense attorney, you benefit from:

Our years of experience litigating in Missouri courts
Deep knowledge of Missouri traffic and criminal laws
A thorough investigation of your case to find the right evidence to defend you
Compassionate representation – we listen to your side of the story and make your voice heard

Your freedom and criminal record are too important to risk by trying to fight a traffic crime charge alone. We’re on your side.