Yes, you do need a trial lawyer if you’re charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license in Kansas City. Penalties can be severe for a DWS – fines and court costs are expensive, you could spend time in jail, lose your job or even lose your driving privileges permanently. Depending on the circumstances, such as failure to have your license in your possession, failure to appear in court or neglecting to pay your fine, a Kansas City trial lawyer may be able to avoid a suspension of your driving privileges altogether.
Driving While Suspended (DWS), and Driving While Revoked (DWR), are both serious charges, not only in Missouri and Kansas but in every other state, as well. Even minimum penalties for DWS can have an unwelcome impact on your life. Driving on a suspended or revoked license is no small matter and can lead to big fines, huge increases in insurance premium payments, increased suspension or revocation periods, and in many cases, even jail time.
For instance, a first offense DWS generally carries a two-day minimum jail sentence along with a significant suspension period of your driver’s license. Missouri considers a DWS a 12-point violation and it’s not uncommon, even for a first-timer, to get a 1-year suspension. It gets worse with a second offense, often resulting in a 5-day jail sentence, and an even longer suspension period through the Department of Revenue (DOR). Kansas will suspend your license for 90-days for a first offense conviction. But if you are convicted of 3 violations over a 5-year period for a DUI, DWS or DWR, your license will be suspended for three years. You definitely should have the services of a Kansas City attorney for these types of charges.
Many times a trial lawyer is able to get DWS and DWR charges amended to a lesser charge, such as a non-moving violation. Hiring a lawyer means you have a better likelihood of avoiding the 12-points rule in Missouri, and avoid the possibility of being declared a “habitual violator” in Kansas.
If you have been reinstated, a trial lawyer can get the charge against you reduced significantly in most jurisdictions. At the very least, your lawyer might be able to help you get a Restricted Permit to drive so you can get to your job. For that reason, the most important thing you can do when you get a DWS ticket is to contact a trial lawyer who can find out why you are suspended and begin the process of getting your driving privileges reinstated.
Craig M. Divine is an experienced trial lawyer in Kansas City who has successfully handled DWS and DWR cases in the Kansas City Courts. If you’ve been charged with DWS, contact Craig for a FREE Consultation!
Divine Law Office LLC
(816) 474-2240
600 E. 8th Street, Ste. A
Kansas City, MO 64106