Criminal Defense
Criminal Defense Lawyers in St. Charles County
A criminal conviction can affect every aspect of your life from your employment, to where you can live, to how people will treat you. At the law firm of Ellinger & Associates in O'Fallon, Missouri, our lawyers offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and the legal and personal consequences you are facing.
If you have a criminal record and try to rent an apartment, the landlord has a right to refuse to rent to you. An employer has the right to search your criminal background and can refuse employment based solely on criminal conviction. A police officer who pulls you over on a traffic stop will do a background check and may treat you differently if you have a criminal history. To avoid consequences like these, you should never plead guilty to any criminal offense without talking to an attorney.
Our lawyers defend people who face all types of criminal charges, including:
- DWI/traffic offenses
- Vehicular assault and vehicular homicide
- Drug possession
- Drug trafficking
- Theft, robbery and burglary
- Embezzlement, fraud and white collar criminal offenses
- Writing bad checks
- Past-due child support
- Child abuse
- Child molestation
- Internet sex crimes such as possession of child pornography
- Assault
- Rape
- Murder
Talk to Our Lawyers — and No One Else
If you are accused of a criminal offense, you should talk to our lawyer before you say anything to police. The police may say that if you talk to them now, the prosecutor will go easy on you. However, that is not true. The police have no control over what the prosecutor does.
In many types of crimes, there may be extenuating circumstances. However, it's important to let your lawyer communicate with law enforcement. Anything you tell the police can be used against you.
Our defense lawyers will seek to minimize the effect of a criminal charge on your life. For many first-time offenses, our lawyers can seek suspended imposition of sentence (SIS), which would allow you to avoid a criminal record if you successfully complete probation.
Free Attorney Consultation
To discuss your criminal defense case with one of our lawyers, call 888-525-7237 toll free or fill out the contact form on this site. From our offices in St. Louis and O'Fallon, we serve clients throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, including St. Louis County, St. Charles County and other communities west of the Missouri River.
