DWI Lawyer in St. Charles, Missouri
If you need a DWI lawyer in St. Charles, Missouri, acting quickly will help protect your driver's license, your freedom, and your future.
With nearly 18 years' experience representing DWI clients in St. Charles City, Anthony Bretz can help you avoid serious first time DWI penalties including fines, license suspension, increased insurance rates, and even jail time. A DWI conviction can have lasting consequences, making it important to speak with an experienced Missouri DWI lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact a St. Charles DWI Lawyer to Discuss Your Case
Bretz Legal, LLC represents individuals charged with DWI and other traffic-related offenses throughout St. Louis and St. Charles County.
Limited Time to Act to Save your Driver's License
If you either blew or had your blood drawn, then you only have 15 days to protect your driver's license by requesting an Administrative Hearing.
If you refused to submit to a breathalyzer, then you have 30 days to file a Petition for Review of the Breathalyzer Refusal Revocation, but your temporary driving permit is good for only 15 days.
DWI Charges in St. Charles
As one of the busiest cities in St. Charles County, St. Charles receives lots of traffic from residents and tourists alike. The St. Charles Police Department routinely patrols the major thoroughfares in and surrounding the city, including Interstate 70, Interstate 370, Highway 94, Veterans Memorial Parkway, First Capitol Drive, and Zumbehl Road.
The Police issued more than 7,500 citations in 2025. This includes many DWI-related investigations and arrests.
Where are DWI Cases Heard in St. Charles?
Many DWI charges, and lesser traffic and ordinance violations, occurring within the City of St. Charles are handled in the St. Charles Municipal Court, which is part of Missouri's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. The court is located at the St. Charles Criminal Justice Center on Zumbehl Road and hears municipal traffic and ordinance cases filed by the City Prosecutor.
Other DWI charges are handled by the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and take place in St. Charles County Circuit Court on Second Street. The Associate Circuit and Circuit Judges oversee Misdemeanor DWI charges issued by the State Highway Patrol, and all Felony DWI cases stemming from arrests in St. Charles County.
If you have been charged with a DWI, an attorney can help you understand your options and determine the best strategy for your case.
Consequences of a Missouri DWI
The possible consequences you can suffer for a DWI conviction depends on whether it is felony, first, or second DWI. If there is an accident involving an injury this can increase the potential punishment as well.
In St. Charles City Municipal Court, the judge can sentence you to pay a fine of $1000 and/or a jail sentence of 6 months for your First DWI; or $2000 and/or a jail term of 1 year for a Second DWI within 5 years.
You also face a 90-Day to 1-Year license suspension or revocation. The length of time depends on whether there is a BAC result above the legal limit of 0.08% or it is a conviction for a first or second DWI. The DOR may also require you to install an ignition interlock device.
Possible DWI Defenses
Each DWI arrest presents multiple potential defenses that can result in a dismissal or reduction in charges.
Improper Traffic Stop
There must be reasonable suspicion to justify the underlying traffic stop. That means the officer must have specific, observable facts such as excessive speed, weaving within or between lanes, or a Sobriety Check Point. Violations of your Constitutional rights can result in suppression of evidence and even dismissal of charges.
Unreliable Testing and Procedures
Whether you submitted a breath sample or after a refusal blood was drawn pursuant to a warrant, the prosecutor and the DOR may only rely on the results if the testing procedures are reliable. For example, breath results can be excluded for improper maintenance of the breathalyzer machine, or failure of the testing officer to observe you for 15 minutes prior to the sample being collected. Blood can likewise be excluded if the person drawing the sample didn't use the proper vial, the sample wasn't stored properly, or the chain-of-custody was broken.
Unreliable Standardized Field Sobriety Test Results
If the field sobriety tests were not conducted pursuant to guidelines issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, then those results can be suppressed as unreliable. This in turn can undermine the arresting officer's reasonable suspicion or probable cause for the DWI arrest.
Why Hire a DWI Lawyer in St. Charles, Missouri?
You need to hire a DWI lawyer in St. Charles, Missouri to protect your license, your freedom, and your future. A trained and experienced DWI attorney can prevent you from losing your driver's license by cross-examining the officer at the DOR Administrative Hearing or Breathalyzer Refusal Trial. Your attorney will also give you the best shot at winning your DWI case, making the best case for a reduction in charges, or getting the best plea deal offered. In the end, your attorney can limit your criminal and license punishments.
Why Choose Bretz Legal, LLC?
Attorney Anthony Bretz provides dedicated representation for individuals facing DWI and traffic-related charges in St. Charles County. Every case is different, and a thorough review of the facts, police reports, and evidence may identify defenses that could help reduce or resolve the charges against you.
As a DWI lawyer, Anthony Bretz attacks each case because he believes that you are innocent until proven guilty. The police make mistakes and laboratories fail to follow testing procedures.
Clients who choose Bretz Legal do so because they know Anthony is going to be the attorney handling their case. His clients appreciate the ease with which they can get ahold of him and the clarity of his explanations.
Serving Clients Throughout St. Charles County
Bretz Legal, LLC proudly represents individuals charged with DWI throughout St. Charles, St. Peters, O'Fallon, Wentzville, Lake Saint Louis, Cottleville, Defiance, Augusta, and surrounding communities.
Contact a St. Charles DWI Attorney
If you have been arrested for DWI in St. Charles, Missouri, contact Bretz Legal, LLC to discuss your case and your legal options.