St. Louis DWI Law Blog

Can I dispute breath test results?

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

If you are facing charges for a DWI in St. Louis, you probably know that it is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater. This applies to anyone who is over the age 21. There are multiple factors the prosecution will take into consideration when building the case against you. One of them includes the results of the breath test.

Getting a result that indicates that your BAC is above the legal limit does not mean you are not able to question the validity of the breath test. Given that DWI penalties are severe, and you could end up paying dearly for a careless mistake for many years, disputing the results of the breath test may be a good defense strategy for your situation. Law enforcement officers administer the breath test. They are human and can make mistakes that cause false positives and higher normal readings. Possible defense angles include the following:

How to avoid a DWI this Cinco de Mayo

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

Cinco de Mayo is a popular holiday in the United States. The holiday's origins relate to Mexico's victory over the army led by Napoleon at the Battle of Puebla. However, for many people, the day is an excuse to spend time with friends and go out drinking.

You should certainly have fun, but you do not want to put a damper on the good times by having a run-in with the police. If you plan on going out drinking, either at a bar or a friend's house, then you should be responsible. There are many ways to have a good time without putting yourself and others in danger or risk getting a DWI.

How does a DWI affect your ability to own a firearm?

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

Every state has drastically different gun laws. In Missouri, individuals who have a felony conviction on their record are unable to own a firearm. For a first DWI offense, you can expect to receive a misdemeanor charge. Most of the time, it takes three DWIs for police to charge the individual with a felony. However, even a first offense could be a felony if you caused physical injury or endangered the life of a child.

The inability to own a gun is just the start. People with a felony DWI conviction may also need to pay thousands of dollars' worth of fines and possibly face jail time. For gun enthusiasts who do not want to lose their right to bear arms, it is best to find a safe ride home following a night of drinking.

Should you trust a personal breath testing device?

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Friday, March 23, 2018.

People from all backgrounds deal with driving under the influence of alcohol. Take Missouri basketball player Jordan Barnett, whom police arrested in early March for DWI. As a result, Barnett will be unable to participate in the NCAA tournament.

If you talk to enough people, then you will soon find everyone has tips for not going past the legal limit. Some people suggest only having one alcohol beverage an hour. Some people even suggest buying your own breath testing device, so you know what your blood alcohol concentration is before getting behind the wheel. While some vouch for these devices, you should not necessarily put all your faith into them if you want to avoid a DWI.

3 mistakes to avoid after a DWI arrest

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Friday, March 16, 2018.

Law enforcement takes drunk driving extremely seriously. To understand why, look no further than a recent incident in Missouri where a drunk driver collided with another vehicle, seriously injuring 10- and 11-year-old children. Officers arrested the woman for aggravated driving under the influence.

There is a lot you need to take care of in the aftermath of a DWI arrest. You want to get in touch with an attorney to represent you in court, and you need to write down all the details of the arresting incident, including the time and the reason the officer gave you for pulling you over. However, there are plenty of actions to avoid doing during this time, too.

Ongoing NHTSA campaign brings topic of buzzed driving to light

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.

You went out for a few drinks with friends, and you were careful to keep your drinking to a minimum. Certain that you were under Missouri’s legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 percent, you got in your car to drive home. Unfortunately, law enforcement pulled you over and gave you a DUI because, according to the officer, there was reason to believe that you are alcohol-impaired.

How did this happen, if you were not legally drunk? It can help to understand how “buzzed driving” may fit into the category of drunk driving.

Why do men and women process alcohol differently?

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

Because of the danger a drunk driver creates on the roadways, law enforcement takes drinking and driving seriously. No one should ever drive while impaired. However, many people are unaware that they have a blood alcohol concentration higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Part of this is due to how different people's bodies process alcohol differently. For example, alcohol seems to have a greater impact on women than men by and large. This means a woman can drink the same volume of alcohol as a man and be over the 0.08 percent limit while the man is still under.

Penalties for a DWI with a child in the car are severe

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Monday, February 5, 2018.

As a parent, you take your children with you almost everywhere you go: to and from the school bus, the grocery store, play dates and every errand.

We have explained in previous blog posts that you can find yourself facing drunk driving charges after just a couple of drinks with a blood alcohol content under 0.08 percent or even when you have not been drinking at all. As you might expect, if you have your children in the car with you when a police officer arrests you for drunk driving, the consequences are serious indeed.

Why sober people fail field sobriety tests

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Thursday, February 1, 2018.

If police officers stop you on suspicion of DUI or DWI, they may ask you to take a field sobriety test. Unfortunately, failing this test can mean an immediate arrest, with the resulting damage to your record.

For several reasons, agreeing to take a sobriety test is more likely to harm than help you.

Can you still be arrested for DWI if you have high tolerance?

On behalf of Jeannean Fenske of Travis Noble, P.C. posted in blog on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

In a nutshell: Yes, you can still be arrested for DWI if you have high alcohol tolerance, although the chances of that happening can be lower.

For example, you might be less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drifting into other lanes or following too closely because of your high tolerance levels. Thus, a police officer could be less likely to pull you over.

Can I dispute breath test results?

How to avoid a DWI this Cinco de Mayo

How does a DWI affect your ability to own a firearm?

Should you trust a personal breath testing device?

3 mistakes to avoid after a DWI arrest

Ongoing NHTSA campaign brings topic of buzzed driving to light

Why do men and women process alcohol differently?

Penalties for a DWI with a child in the car are severe

Why sober people fail field sobriety tests

Can you still be arrested for DWI if you have high tolerance?

Categories

Archives

Recent Posts

Contact Travis Noble Now

View the map and get driving directions to our location: