St. Paul DWI Lawyers
- Arechego & Stokka:
Arechigo & Stokka
represent individuals who have
been charged with a criminal
offense, including DWIs, or who
have suffered a personal injury
resulting from a variety of
accidents, including work-related
injuries.
- Duggins Law Firm:
There are many technical requirements for a valid investigation of a drunken driving charge. The Minnesota legislature continually tries to make tougher laws about drunk driving. It is necessary for a skilled lawyer to look at each technical aspect of the case to make sure that the police have followed the law and required procedures.
There are a number of reasons why you may want to employ scientific experts to testify in your case.
- Dittrich Law Firm:
Dealing with DWI or criminal charges is difficult. The questions and worries around how this will affect your income, employment, ability to drive a car, and much more can be overwhelming. It is important to have an experienced attorney on your side to ensure the best possible outcome.
- Leiran Law Office:
Being charged with Driving Under the Influence (ÒDUIÓ or ÒDWIÓ) is a serious matter. DUI law is complex and we can help you navigate both the criminal and civil implications of being charged with DUI.
In Minnesota, there are separate criminal and civil proceedings that result from a DUI. The criminal proceeding involves fines, jail time, and other penalties the State of Minnesota may seek to impose. The civil proceedings involve the suspension of your driverÕs license and - in some instances Ð forfeiture of your motor vehicle.
If you have been arrested for DUI, you should consult with an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you do not miss any deadlines that could seriously compromise your ability to put on a defense. There are numerous potential defenses to a DUI charge and there are strict deadlines for challenges to driverÕs license revocations and vehicle forfeitures. An attorney can help you to:
* Obtain dismissed or reduced charges
* Restore your driverÕs license
* Obtain a work permit
* Return a vehicle that has been forfeited
* Obtain alternative penalties to jail time
There are many factors that will factor into the judge and/or prosecutorÕs decision about whether your case is dismissed or what penalty will be imposed, such as:
* Constitutional violations by the police during the stop/arrest
* Intoxylizer Source Code issues
* Blood-alcohol content
* Whether a minor was in the vehicle
* Prior DUI convictions
* Age at the time of the arrest
- MacDonald Law Firm:
Criminal Defense, Assault & DUI
If you are about to be charged or have been charged with a crime, the government must prove its case against you beyond a reasonable doubt. If they do not have credible witnesses or evidence to prove their case, even if one juror votes not guilty, you are free.
- Dudley & Smith:
personal injury, corporations, family, criminal defense and bankruptcy
- O'Neill & Murphy:
A DWI or DUI conviction can result in jail time, fines, and exorbitant insurance rates for years to come. We will fight for your rights and your record all the way, from your DMV hearing to criminal court. Do not try to go it alone in fighting your drunk driving charges.
- Vanderheider Law Office:
Being charged with a crime, no matter how substantial, creates an anxious, stress-filled time for both the accused and their family. Facing the unknown generates fear, which only makes matters worse.
- O'Neill & Murphy:
DWI Defense
A DWI or DUI conviction can result in jail time, fines, and exorbitant insurance rates for years to come. We will fight for your rights and your record all the way, from your DMV hearing to criminal court. Do not try to go it alone in fighting your drunk driving charges.
BWI and Boating Violations
If you have been charged with boating while intoxicated, you need to know that this affects your criminal and driving record as significantly as a drunk driving charge. Our law firm defends boaters charged with BWI and other boating violations, including speeding in a no-wake zone and failure to display running lights at night.
- Flanagan, Patrick:
If you are facing criminal charges in Minnesota or federal court, protect your rights.
- Perkkio, Arlene:
...fight DWI charges and avoid consequences of jail time, fines and increased insurance rates. Commercial and underage drivers face even harsher penalties.
- Marsden, Brian:
Drunk driving charges (driving while intoxicated and driving under the influence) are serious criminal charges. The consequences can include fines, jail time and a criminal record. The civil proceedings - before the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services - can result in a suspended license, or even license revocation.
- Krause, Thomas:
ensure that the constitutional rights of the accused are protected in cases such as DUI/DWI
- Kevin Leehan:
Pulled over forÊa DUI or DWI? Stopped forÊspeeding? If you are facing a DUI/DWI charge or other
type of traffic violation it is important to retain an experienced criminal defense lawyer as
soon as possible. Traffic violations and DUI/DWI are serious criminal charges andÊcan have
serious consequences. Protect your future and preserve your legal rights. A DUI or DWI charge must be
handledÊpromptly.
- James Snyder:
If you are convicted of drunk driving (DUI / DWI) in Minnesota, you
face large fines, court costs, lengthy probation, mandatory alcohol
education and treatment, house arrest, and jail time. In addition, you
could lose your driver’s license for a significant period of time. If
you are convicted of a second or subsequent drunk driving (DUI / DWI)
offense, you face at least 30 days in jail and a one-year revocation of
your driver’s license. A fourth drunk driving (DUI / DWI) conviction in
ten years, or a drunk driving (DUI / DWI) conviction with aggravating
factors, such as injuries or children in the car, can be charged as a
felony, conviction for which can result in jail or state prison time.
DUI is not a minor traffic ticket; it is a serious criminal offense.
You need a serious DUI attorney to protect your rights and represent
you.
- Ron Tschida:
Inmany cases, of course, a criminal defendant will decide toplead
guilty to some type of offense, and there are a broad range of
consequences that may follow.
- Mattson Law Office: DUI DWI charges are a serious threat to your freedom and life. You need aggressive, skilled help now.
- Laurie Nevers:
Criminal defense is serious business - it is the only aspect of legal
practice that could result in the loss of liberty for the client.
Because of the serious consequences, it is important to choose a
criminal defense lawyer who is experienced, respected and passionate
about that practice.
- Patrick Oden:
Across the nation, and specifically here in Minnesota, there is a push to crack down on DWI (also informally called DUI). Police have been given larger budgets to boost DWI enforcement. Driving under the influence of a mind-altering substance is never a good idea. But people make mistakes.
Heightened enforcement coupled with much stricter laws has meant that people with no past criminal records are being swept into the DWI enforcement net in record numbers.
Hiring a Minnesota DWI attorney as soon as possible may be the single most important action you can take. An arrest on the suspicion of driving under the influence initiates two legal processes. The first is administrative: to remove the arrestee's driving privileges. The second is criminal: to determine whether or not the arrestee has committed a crime. A person can navigate the process alone, but the prudent person will hire a criminal defense lawyer. Criminal charges, including DWI charges, cannot be taken lightly. An attorney will protect your right, ensure the law is followed, and force the prosecution to prove its case against you.
Administrative Hearing: License Suspension
If the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (opens in a new window) has not already taken your driver's license, then contacting an attorney should be on the top of your list. The DPS has the authority, and is statutorily required, to suspend or revoke the driver's license of any person who has been arrested for drunk driving.
The commissioner cannot suspend driving privileges in most cases until after the DPS notifies you by mail that it intends to suspend your driver's license. During that notification period, you may request an administrative hearing to challenge the license suspension. You should have hired an attorney by this point.
If your license has already been revoked, you may appeal the administrative decision to district court. At this point, you should contact an attorney to help you file the appeal and to represent you in court. This appeal will be a court proceeding before a judge. You can represent yourself. You probably should not. Hire a criminal defense attorney.
Criminal Proceedings: Plea Bargain or Trial
Criminal proceedings will be initiated by the county prosecutor in district court separately from, and potentially concurrently with, the administrative hearing for license suspension. The two proceedings in a legal sense have nothing to do with one another. The administrative hearing cannot be used as evidence in the court proceedings and vice versa.
The criminal process is not complex on a large scale. Basic criminal procedure is not difficult for non-lawyers to understand. In fact, first-year law students are taught criminal procedure, so anyone must be able to learn it.
But you hire a criminal defense attorney not to understand the big picture but to represent you and protect you from the minutiae. You can represent yourself, but are you sure that you will get the best deal? Can you be sure that you will know when to object at trial? Can you be sure that you will know when you have to file documents, how to scrutinize police reports, or examine the arresting police officer on the witness stand? You should hire a lawyer because the potential penalties you face are severe.
As the proceedings move through the procedural phases, you will come to a point where the prosecutor will offer you a plea bargain. The prosecutor will offer you a specific penalty in exchange for your guilty plea. The decision to plead is yours alone; a lawyer cannot make that decision for you. If you do not accept a plea bargain, you will enter a plea of not guilty at a pretrial hearing, and the judge and his or her clerk will set a date for trial.
Plea bargains serve two functions. Pleas reduce the strain on the court system by producing fewer trials that require judicial time and resources. Pleas also allow defendants who are prepared to admit guilt and take responsibility to accept a sentence that will almost assuredly be less than would come from a guilty verdict at trial. Despite the utility of plea bargaining in the judicial system, taking a deal is not the defendant's best option in every case.
Some cases should be defended at trial. Police and prosecutors can make errors. Mistakes and civil rights violations can be grounds for courts to dismiss cases outright.
- Nelson Law Group:
In Minnesota, Driving While Intoxicated is a serious crime with serious consequences. If convicted, a driver can lose their license, lose their car, go to jail, and watch their insurance rates skyrocket.
If you have been charged with Drunk Driving (DUI/DWI) or refusal to submit to an alcohol test, you only have a short time to challenge the revocation of your driver's license. We need to move quickly.
Whether you intend to plead guilty or fight the charges all the way, you deserve to know your rights and options before going to court. We are happy to review your case and explain your options as well as legal defenses and stategies.
Facing criminal charges is difficult and stressful, but choosing the right attorney can make all the difference
Return to Minnesota DWI Lawyers
|