Law enforcement officers sometimes arrest people without sufficient evidence to support the ultimate criminal charges. Earlier this week, I represented a client at trial for the offenses of driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended driver’s license and possession of marijuana. The Judge found a lack of evidence to support the charges. The Judge dismissed the charge for driving on a suspended driver’s license at the close of the prosecutor’s case following my argument. This charge was dismissed because there was insufficient evidence to support one of the elements of offense charged. The Judge allowed the case to continue to proceed to trial on the remaining charges, but subsequently found the client not guilty of the offenses of driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana. The client was found not guilty because of the lack of evidence.
I have been recently trying more cases for clients, including offenses of driving while intoxicated, due to poor police investigation and harsher penalties following guilty pleas. In addition to jail time, persons convicted of DWI offenses suffer the collateral consequence of a loss of driving privileges ranging from 90 day to a life-time ban. Because Jefferson City and mid-Missouri lack a convenient public transportation system to transport people from their home to work, retaining driving privileges, in many cases, is essential to daily living.
Please visit our website at www.brydonlaw.com for additional information or contact Scott Hamblin at scotthamblin@brydonlaw.com or 573-635-7166.