DWI - DUI - BWI

PLEASE NOTE: RECEIVING A CRIMINAL CITIATION FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED ALSO TRIGGERS CIVIL PROCEEDINGS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A REVOCATION OF DRIVING PRIVILEGES. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ACT IMMEDIATELY DUE TO STRICT DEADLINES INVOLVED.

 

 

CRIMINAL CITATION FOR DWI

Receiving a criminal citation for driving while under the influence of alcoholic beverages or a controlled substance begins a long and extremely complicated process in the State of Missouri. Second and subsequent offenses for DWI carry more severe penalties and enhanced punishment than first time offenders:

Overview of range of punishment for driving while intoxicated:

• DWI FIRST: UP TO $500 FINE AND/OR UP TO SIX MONTHS JAIL

• DWI SECOND: UP TO $1,000 FINE AND/OR ONE YEAR JAIL

• DWI THIRD: UP TO $5,000 FINE AND/OR FOUR YEARS PRISON

• DWI FORTH: UP TO $5,000 FINE AND/OR SEVEN YEARS PRISON

• DWI FIFTH: BETWEEN FIVE TO FIFTEEN YEAR PRISON

 

CIVIL RAMIFICATIONS

The Department of Revenue initiates administrative proceedings upon a driver who is arrested and is determined by a certified police officer to have been operating a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol content of .08% or more. An arresting police officer from either a municipal , county or the highway patrol is required to fill out and file with the Department of Revenue Form No. 2389, on all alcohol related arrests where a driver has tested .08% or more (or .02% or more for those drivers under 21 years of age), or in the event that the driver refuses to take a blood alcohol test.

 

Test of .08% or over

If the blood alcohol result has been obtained and it is .08% or more, the arresting officer is required to give the driver a "notice of suspension/revocation of your driver privilege" A temporary driving license- VALID FOR ONLY 15 DAYS FROM DATE OF NOTICE. The suspension starts 15 days following the issuance or service of the notice. YOU MUST ACT TIMELY TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO A HEARING ON THIS MATTER. Contact the law offices of Martin & Birdsong for a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION at (573)348-4500 or by contacting us here.

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Refusal

The following statues pertain to refusal of chemical test:

• 302-750 Refusal to consent to test, effect--procedures--hearing allowed, when.

• 302-755 Violations, disqualification from driving, duration, penalties--reapplication procedure.

 

 

 

Aggravated, chronic, persistent and prior offenders--enhanced penalties--imprisonment requirements, exceptions, procedures and definitions.

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577.023. 1. For purposes of this section, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) An "aggravated offender" is a person who:

(a) Has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of three or more intoxication-related traffic offenses; or

(b) Has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of one or more intoxication-related traffic offense and, in addition, any of the following: involuntary manslaughter under subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 565.024, RSMo; murder in the second degree under section 565.021, RSMo, where the underlying felony is an intoxication-related traffic offense; or assault in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.060, RSMo; or assault of a law enforcement officer in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.082, RSMo;

(2) A "chronic offender" is:

(a) A person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of four or more intoxication-related traffic offenses; or

(b) A person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of, on two or more separate occasions, any combination of the following: involuntary manslaughter under subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 565.024, RSMo; murder in the second degree under section 565.021, RSMo, where the underlying felony is an intoxication-related traffic offense; assault in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.060, RSMo; or assault of a law enforcement officer in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.082, RSMo; or

(c) A person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of two or more intoxication-related traffic offenses and, in addition, any of the following: involuntary manslaughter under subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 565.024, RSMo; murder in the second degree under section 565.021, RSMo, where the underlying felony is an intoxication-related traffic offense; assault in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.060, RSMo; or assault of a law enforcement officer in the second degree under subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.082, RSMo;

 

(3) "Continuous alcohol monitoring", automatically testing breath, blood, or transdermal alcohol concentration levels and tampering attempts at least once every hour, regardless of the location of the person who is being monitored, and regularly transmitting the data. Continuous alcohol monitoring shall be considered an electronic monitoring service under subsection 3 of section 217.690, RSMo;

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(4) An "intoxication-related traffic offense" is driving while intoxicated, driving with excessive blood alcohol content, involuntary manslaughter pursuant to subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 565.024, RSMo, murder in the second degree under section 565.021, RSMo, where the underlying felony is an intoxication-related traffic offense, assault in the second degree pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.060, RSMo, assault of a law enforcement officer in the second degree pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.082, RSMo, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in violation of state law or a county or municipal ordinance;

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(5) A "persistent offender" is one of the following:

(a) A person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of two or more intoxication-related traffic offenses;

(b) A person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter pursuant to subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 565.024, RSMo, assault in the second degree pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.060, RSMo, assault of a law enforcement officer in the second degree pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of section 565.082, RSMo; and

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(6) A "prior offender" is a person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of one intoxication-related traffic offense, where such prior offense occurred within five years of the occurrence of the intoxication-related traffic offense for which the person is charged.

2. Any person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a violation of section 577.010 or 577.012 who is alleged and proved to be a prior offender shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

3. Any person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a violation of section 577.010 or 577.012 who is alleged and proved to be a persistent offender shall be guilty of a class D felony.

4. Any person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a violation of section 577.010 or section 577.012 who is alleged and proved to be an aggravated offender shall be guilty of a class C felony.

5. Any person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a violation of section 577.010 or section 577.012 who is alleged and proved to be a chronic offender shall be guilty of a class B felony.

6. No state, county, or municipal court shall suspend the imposition of sentence as to a prior offender, persistent offender, aggravated offender, or chronic offender under this section nor sentence such person to pay a fine in lieu of a term of imprisonment, section 557.011, RSMo, to the contrary notwithstanding. No prior offender shall be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of five days imprisonment, unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least thirty days of community service under the supervision of the court in those jurisdictions which have a recognized program for community service. No persistent offender shall be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of ten days imprisonment, unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least sixty days of community service under the supervision of the court. No aggravated offender shall be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of sixty days imprisonment. No chronic offender shall be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of two years imprisonment. In addition to any other terms or conditions of probation, the court shall consider, as a condition of probation for any person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of an intoxication-related traffic offense, requiring the offender to abstain from consuming or using alcohol or any products containing alcohol as demonstrated by continuous alcohol monitoring or by verifiable breath alcohol testing performed a minimum of four times per day as scheduled by the court for such duration as determined by the court, but not less than ninety days. The court may, in addition to imposing any other fine, costs, or assessments provided by law, require the offender to bear any costs associated with continuous alcohol monitoring or verifiable breath alcohol testing.

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7. The state, county, or municipal court shall find the defendant to be a prior offender, persistent offender, aggravated offender, or chronic offender if:

(1) The indictment or information, original or amended, or the information in lieu of an indictment pleads all essential facts warranting a finding that the defendant is a prior offender or persistent offender; and

(2) Evidence is introduced that establishes sufficient facts pleaded to warrant a finding beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant is a prior offender, persistent offender, aggravated offender, or chronic offender; and

(3) The court makes findings of fact that warrant a finding beyond a reasonable doubt by the court that the defendant is a prior offender, persistent offender, aggravated offender, or chronic offender.

8. In a jury trial, the facts shall be pleaded, established and found prior to submission to the jury outside of its hearing.

9. In a trial without a jury or upon a plea of guilty, the court may defer the proof in findings of such facts to a later time, but prior to sentencing.

10. The defendant shall be accorded full rights of confrontation and cross-examination, with the opportunity to present evidence, at such hearings.

11. The defendant may waive proof of the facts alleged.

12. Nothing in this section shall prevent the use of presentence investigations or commitments.

13. At the sentencing hearing both the state, county, or municipality and the defendant shall be permitted to present additional information bearing on the issue of sentence.

14. The pleas or findings of guilt shall be prior to the date of commission of the present offense.

15. The court shall not instruct the jury as to the range of punishment or allow the jury, upon a finding of guilt, to assess and declare the punishment as part of its verdict in cases of prior offenders, persistent offenders, aggravated offenders, or chronic offenders.

16. Evidence of a prior conviction, plea of guilty, or finding of guilt in an intoxication-related traffic offense shall be heard and determined by the trial court out of the hearing of the jury prior to the submission of the case to the jury, and shall include but not be limited to evidence of convictions received by a search of the records of the Missouri uniform law enforcement system maintained by the Missouri state highway patrol. After hearing the evidence, the court shall enter its findings thereon. A plea of guilty or a finding of guilt followed by incarceration, a fine, a suspended imposition of sentence, suspended execution of sentence, probation or parole or any combination thereof in any intoxication-related traffic offense in a state, county or municipal court or any combination thereof, shall be treated as a prior plea of guilty or finding of guilt for purposes of this section.

(L. 1982 S.B. 513, A.L. 1983 S.B. 318 & 135, A.L. 1991 S.B. 125 & 341, A.L. 1993 S.B. 167 merged with S.B. 180, A.L. 1998 S.B. 634, A.L. 2001 H.B. 302 & 38, A.L. 2005 H.B. 353 merged with H.B. 972 and S.B. 37, et al. merged with H.B. 353, A.L. 2005 1st Ex. Sess. H.B. 2, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1715, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1715 merged with S.B. 930 & 947 (Repealed L. 2009 H.B. 62), A.L. 2009 H.B. 62)

 

Effective 7-09-09

(2005) Provision of section enhancing driving while intoxicated charge from misdemeanor to felony, by including prior DWI charges only from courts in which the judge was a lawyer, is constitutional under the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. State v. Pike, 162 S.W.3d 464 (Mo.banc).