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Yes, it will go up quite a bit. And over the long run, you will end up paying out WAY more on auto insurance than you ever would to a St. Louis speeding ticket attorney to get the ticket fixed (especially since our fees for a regular ticket are only $35). But a lot of people make the mistake of believing that simply paying the fines on the ticket is the easiest way out the situation. That it is far better to just plead guilty and get the ticket behind them. But the exact opposite is true.

First of all, when you plead guilty to a moving violation (like speeding), it will result in a certain number of points going onto your permanent driving record. Once those points are assessed by the state of Missouri, your automobile insurance carrier will jack up your rates. How high will they increase? Let’s take a look at a recent study done by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

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MOST TRESPASSING CHARGES CAN BE HANDLED FOR ONLY $375

Yes, it is. But for some reason, a lot of people regard trespassing as something to smirk at (as if it’s no big deal). They think, “I was just on someone else’s property for like five minutes!! Who cares?!” But regardless of how silly you may find the situation, being charged with St. Louis trespassing is a much bigger deal than you probably realize.

Trespassing in the First Degree is a Class B Misdemeanor. This type of crime comes with up to six (6) months of jail time and a $500 fine. It is true that most courts do not impose a jail sentence for trespassing, but if you plead guilty to the charge, it will end up as a criminal conviction on your permanent record. Why is that a big deal? Let’s take a look at a few negative impacts:

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$375 FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANOR CHARGES

While there are many similarities between an SIS and an SES, there are a couple of big differences as well. “SIS” stands for Suspended Imposition of Sentence, and an “SES” stands for Suspended Execution of Sentence. Both involve periods of probation (usually one (1) to two (2) years). Both would eliminate any jail time or fine. But the SES comes with a few things that you should be aware of.

To begin with, let’s take a look at a typical SIS: suppose you are cited with stealing / theft in St. Louis. The value of the goods that were allegedly stolen was less than $500. This in turn will result in a Class A Misdemeanor. Class A Misdemeanors come with up to one (1) year in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. But if a deal is struck with the court and an SIS is given to you, then instead of doing any jail time or paying any fines, you are placed on probation. This probation usually lasts for one or two years (and is described as “bench supervision,” which means you do not have to meet with a Parole Officer during the probationary period). Once the period of probation is over (and assuming that you have stayed out of trouble during that time), then the original charge of stealing is wiped away. The added bonus is that while you are on probation, the stealing charge will not ever show up on a background check (so if during your probation you apply for a job, this charge will not appear).

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If you are pulled over by a police officer, that officer is going to “run your driver’s license” to see if you have any outstanding warrants or pending criminal and/or traffic matters. If you have already lost your driving privileges (as a result of a DUI, or too many points on your record, or for having missed a court hearing in the past), then there is a very good chance that the cop will cite you with “Driving While Suspended”.

MOST ST LOUIS DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED TICKETS CAN BE HANDLED FOR $185

A St. Louis driving while suspended ticket is a big deal. It is a twelve (12) point ticket. “Points” are like little red flags that go onto your record that have the effect of making you look like a bad driver. And if you receive those 12 points as a result of this kind of ticket, the state of Missouri will very likely suspend your driving privileges for another additional year. So as you can see, this is a traffic infraction that you do not want to take lightly (indeed, there are some jurisdictions that treat a DWS as a criminal matter).

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The answer is simple: most people cannot afford to pay a St. Louis criminal defense attorney the types of fees they demand for service. For example, a typical quote of fees for a run-of-the-mill St. Louis marijuana possession can run anywhere between $1,000 and $1,500. And most people just cannot pay that much. So instead of having an experienced attorney help them through the process, these individuals just show up to court by themselves.

MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANORS CAN BE HANDLED FOR ONLY $375

What happens to them once they get to court? The end result is usually not good. Below is a description of what these folks normally run into when they represent themselves. But in the end, most people fall into the same category: they make too much income to be assigned to a public defender (that office is reserved for those who cannot afford an attorney, but you have to meet certain low-income level requirements to be eligible), and they do not have enough money laying around (like an extra $1,500) to pay a regular attorney.

But here’s the rub: most low-level misdemeanors (less than 35 grams of marijuana, trespassing, peace disturbance, possession of drug paraphernalia, etc.) are almost always handled the same way by an attorney. The attorney simply sends in an Entry of Appearance (or speaks briefly with the prosecutor on the night of court), and gets a recommendation from the prosecutor. This “recommendation” is document that the prosecutor gives to the judge which recommends how the case should be handled. And in most cases, the prosecutor is willing to either reduced the charges to some minor infraction (like “littering,” which does not even show up on your record), or recommend an SIS (which involves a period of probation, after the completion of which the original charges drop off altogether).

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Because if you don’t, then you will receive points on your permanent driving record. Once points are assessed to your record, then your auto insurance company will jack up your monthly rates. And if you get to many points (especially over a short period of time), then you could end up losing your driving privileges altogether.

MOST ST LOUIS TRAFFIC TICKETS CAN BE HANDLED FOR ONLY $35

In the state of Missouri, there is a “points” system for drivers. But this should not be thought as a positive thing (as in, “Yay, I’m getting some points!!”). The points system is basically a score card by which the state hits you with negative marks (i.e. points) every time you plead guilty to a traffic infraction. For example, most St. Louis speeding tickets come with two (2) to three (3) points.

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Most people (when charged with possession of marijuana in St. Louis) do not get an attorney. They do not seek out any advice as to their legal rights. And they do not check into what options they might have available to them. As a result, most people will simply end up pleading guilty to the charge.

MOST MISDEMEANOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION CHARGES IN ST LOUIS CAN BE HANDLED FOR ONLY $375

But if you plead guilty, there will be some serious repercussions: 1. To begin with, a guilty plea will result in a drug conviction becoming a part of your permanent record; 2. This conviction will show up on a criminal background check; 3. Landlords and employers run these kinds of checks on almost all applicants (which will severely reduce your chances of getting a job or an apartment); 4. Most governmental support (whether it is unemployment benefits, food stamps, or public housing) is eliminated if you have a drug conviction on your record.

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No, Missouri is not legalizing marijuana. The state is decriminalizing it. Yes, there is a distinction!!

First of all, the possession of marijuana is still (and will continue to be) illegal in Missouri. But recently the state legislature revamped the criminal code to lessen the penalties for some crimes. And possession of marijuana is an example of this trend.

ONLY $375 TO HANDLE MOST ST LOUIS MARIJUANA POSSESSION CHARGES

So for example, the crime of marijuana possession is currently described as a Class A Misdemeanor if you are caught with less than 35 grams of the substance, or a Class C Felony if you have 35 grams or more. But starting January 1, 2017, if you are caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana, then you can be charged with a Class D Misdemeanor.

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The state gives out points any time you are found guilty of a moving violation. A moving violation is roughly described as an infraction committed while you are operating a vehicle. The state uses a point system so that it can keep a record of how good of a driver you are.

“Points” are like little red flags that put a blemish on your permanent driving record. They have a tendency to make it look like you are a bad driver. You receive a different number of points for the different types of traffic infractions out there. For example, a St. Louis speeding ticket will typically get you two (2) points. And as points accumulate, there are varying consequences. For instance, if you receive eighteen (18) points in an eighteen month period, the state will automatically suspend your driver’s license for one (1) year. The accumulation of points can also have a detrimental effect upon the amount you pay for automobile insurance. Each time you receive points to your record, your insurance carrier will likely increase your monthly premiums (because they will now look at your as a higher risk to insure).

But an experienced St. Louis traffic ticket attorney can help make sure that you do not receive any points at all. In fact, our goal is to ensure that your driving record stays clean of all negative treatments. We do this by beginning immediate negotiations with the local prosecutor to get the St. Louis speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation. A non-moving violation does not come with any points, which means that your record will be clear, and your car insurance will stay the same.

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If you don’t do anything about a St. Louis traffic ticket, it will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. But it doesn’t have to go that way. An experienced St. Louis speeding ticket lawyer can help get your traffic citation reduced to a non-moving violation.

ATTORNEY FEES FOR ST. LOUIS TRAFFIC TICKETS START AT $40

When you receive a ticket from a police officer, the citation will list the court date. This is the date on which you must appear to plead your case (either in front of the judge or prosecutor). But you do not show up, the judge will fire off a bench warrant. Once a warrant is in effect, you can be hauled off to jail the next time you run into a cop.

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