Welcome to Beerup Law
Ruth Beerup is an experienced DWI attorney who has been protecting her clients' rights for over 25 years. She has had success at every step of the process, from the petition for review and administrative alcohol suspension hearing right through the criminal case. DWI defense is complicated. There are a lot of technical issues to master and an overly elaborate body of statutory law. Hiring a lawyer like Ruth, who dedicates her entire practice to criminal and traffic law is essential.
Can You Keep Your License?
When you have been accused of driving while intoxicated in Missouri, you will need to be concerned with two different state actions. There will be a criminal case, and separately, the Department of Revenue will try to suspend or revoke your license. The more immediate issue is with the DOR because there are strict deadlines. The DOR will try to suspend or revoke your license if you refused to take the blood alcohol test or if you failed a test for blood alcohol content.
If you refused the breath test:
The penalty for refusing a breath test is a 1-year revocation of driving privileges. Your attorney can fight this revocation by filing a petition for review. It must be filed within 30 days of the notice of revocation (usually given at the arrest) in the county where the arrest occurred. Your attorney can usually get a stay order that will allow you to keep driving until the petition is heard.
At this hearing, the DOR officer or prosecutor will try to prove three things. 1. That you were arrested. 2. That the officer had reasonable grounds to believe that you were driving a vehicle in an intoxicated or drugged state. 3. That you refused to submit to a chemical test. All of those facts may seem pretty obvious and difficult to challenge, but there are plenty of arguments that an experienced DWI attorney can make on your behalf. For a more in-depth discussion of DWI refusal cases, click here.
If you blew over .08:
If you have no alcohol-related law enforcement contacts over the preceding five years, you will face a 30-day license suspension followed by 60 days of restricted driving privileges if you fail a chemical test for excessive blood alcohol. If you do have a previous offense in the preceding five years, you will face a 1-year revocation.
Your attorney will have 15 days from the day of the arrest to file a request for an administrative hearing to fight this suspension or revocation. You will be given a new temporary permit to drive on until the hearing. Administrative hearings often focus on technical issues related to the testing procedures. It is vital to have an attorney with the proper experience and training to deal with these complex issues. For more on DWI cases with failed breath tests, click here.
The DWI criminal case.
A DWI conviction will result in points on your license that will cause a suspension or revocation. A first-time DWI can often be disposed of in a way that keeps this from happening, a DWI with priors less often. It is vital to hire an experienced DWI lawyer who knows how to work a DWI criminal case. There is excessive complexity in DWI law. Amongst the host of provisions, exceptions, amendments, and procedures are opportunities for good defense lawyers to obtain favorable outcomes for their clients.
How Much Will DWI Defense Cost?
Every DWI case is unique and should be treated as such. That means that, without a detailed intake interview to assess the situation, it is difficult and unwise to give a price for DWI defense. An honest appraisal of the evidence will provide an attorney with an idea of how much time and effort will be necessary to reach a favorable outcome. Ideally, what you should be paying for is an experienced, knowledgeable, and effective lawyer to examine the entirety of the incident, identify the weaknesses in the state's case, and attack those weaknesses.
Having said that, it is possible to give some very rough estimates for DWI attorney fees. For a simple first-time offense, you can expect to pay between $2000 and $5000. Anything that complicates the case, such as injury or death (particularly to law enforcement or emergency personnel), a blood alcohol content greater than .18, or prior DWI offenses, will raise the cost. Every DWI attorney offers free consultations. Don't hesitate to contact one to discuss your case and get a price.
Why Hire Beerup Law?
As mentioned above, every DWI case is unique. Not only that, but each client has their own ideas about how they want their case handled, what resolution they are looking for, how much risk they can tolerate, and how much they are willing to spend to make it all happen. Every DWI lawyer has their own strengths, weaknesses, and procedures for dealing with DWI cases. What this all means is that not every DWI lawyer is perfect for every case and every client.
The only way to figure out if a DWI attorney is the right one for you is to give them a call and discuss your case in detail. It probably would not hurt to read some websites beforehand to better understand what the attorney is telling you. Keep in mind that it is very easily possible to spend $10,000 on a no-stone-unturned “aggressive” defense of a first-time DWI that gets you the exact same outcome as a $2000 plea-negotiated SIS with no conviction or points on your record. On the other hand, you can find someone to handle your 3rd DWI for a “bargain” price with an outcome that leaves you wishing you had not saved the money.
Finding the right lawyer to handle your DWI is not easy. The stakes are high. Nothing written on this or any other website should convince you which lawyer is right for you. Attorney Ruth Beerup is known for understanding clients' needs and how those needs intersect with the court system. She might be the right lawyer for your case. Or she might not. Either way, you owe it to yourself and your future to give her a call at 636-940-1111 to discuss your options.