An Experienced Attorney Standing Up for Your Rights
If you've received a traffic ticket or been charged with a criminal offense such as DWI in municipal court or state court, you may be wondering whether you need a lawyer. While you have a legal right to represent yourself, you may not be fully aware of your rights and the applicable legal standards to adequately advocate for yourself. Often, you will need a lawyer to represent you in order to avoid points being assessed against your driving record or going to jail.
Attorney John A. Christiansen, a former Assistant Attorney General of Missouri, has extensive experience representing clients in municipal court. If you've been charged with a municipal offense, don't hesitate to contact John at his office in downtown Kansas City or Blue Springs.
Seeking to Avoid or Reduce Serious Consequences
Municipal courts handle a wide variety of cases, often dealing with misdemeanor criminal and quasi-criminal charges. The following are among the most common issues dealt with in municipal court:
- Driving while intoxicated (DWI): If you have been accused of DWI (known in many states as DUI), you will likely face both a criminal charge and an administrative hearing on your driver's license, which usually occurs before you go to court. John can represent you at both proceedings.
- Traffic tickets: If you've gotten a ticket for speeding, running a stop sign, running a red light, driving without insurance, driving with a suspended license or another traffic offense, John's focus will be on getting your ticket amended to a non-moving violation so you will not acquire points, threatening your license and impacting your insurance costs.
- Assault, battery and domestic violence: Most cases of alleged violent conduct — including threatening conduct — are heard in municipal court. John has the criminal defense experience to vigorously advocate for your rights. He can also represent you at hearings where someone is seeking a restraining order against you.
- Other criminal offenses: Even when a criminal charge carries relatively minor sentencing consequences, as is the case in most criminal cases heard in municipal court, it is still a very serious matter that can result in a permanent criminal record, affecting your employment and your reputation.
Whether you've been charged with DWI, speeding, assault, trespass or any other offense in municipal court or a traffic violation in state court, don't hesitate to contact John to discuss what he can do to help you.
