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Paul D. Cramm

DUI Defense


Johnson County Kansas DUI Defense Lawyer

Have you been arrested for drunk driving in the Kansas City area? Even a first offense DUI conviction carries serious consequences.

In addition to a possible jail sentence of up to one year depending on your prior driving record and criminal history, if convicted of driving under the influence you also stand to lose your driving privileges, pay steep fines, pay significantly increased insurance rates, and potentially suffer social embarrassment and damage to your reputation. Even a first offense DUI carries a mandatory minimum jail sentence and can result in sanctions at your place of work (including termination). See my Kansas DUI Overview for a more specific and inclusive list of potential consequences.

If you are pulled over and charged with DUI, DWI or drunk driving, it is best to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Even if you submit to field sobriety tests, it is best not to provide any statements to the law enforcement officers. The prosecution will use anything you say to the arresting officer (such as “I only had two beers”) against you in court.

Experienced Defense in Drunk Driving Cases

Effective defense requires thorough knowledge of the enforcement and prosecution of drunk driving charges, which differ among the Kansas and Missouri communities in the Kansas City metro area. I am Paul Cramm, an experienced attorney whose practice is limited exclusively to criminal defense, and I know the DUI laws in depth. In planning a drunk driving defense strategy, experience has taught me to carefully consider:

  • The initial traffic stop – Did the officer have a valid reason to stop the suspect?
  • The DUI investigation – Did the officer have valid suspicion of elevated blood alcohol content?
  • The field sobriety tests – Did the officer correctly administer roadside sobriety tests and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tests?
  • The chemical test at the station – Did the officer follow required protocol for administration of the Intoxilyzer Test?
  • Any of these issues may provide a strong basis for a motion to dismiss the case or to successfully challenge the sufficiency of the evidence at trial.
  • We look at everything in order to obtain the best possible outcome for our clients.

There are many ‘municipalities’ in Johnson County, Kansas: Olathe, Overland Park, Merriam, Mission, Shawnee, Lenexa, Lekawood, Prairie Village, Mission, Mission Hills, Fairway, Westwood, DeSoto and Gardner.  Each of these municipalities has their own police force and their own Municipal Court system.  Although the DUI laws in the State of Kansas are a matter of statute, it is very important to hire a lawyer who has experience defending DUI clients in each of these cities.  It is important to hire a DUI Defense Lawyer who knows the prosecutors and the judges in each of these communities, knows how they prosecute alcohol driving offenses, and how they tend to rule on contested evidentiary issues.  It is important to hire a lawyer who has tried cases and argued contested evidentiary motions to the Judge you will be facing.  If you are facing DUI charges, now is not the time to hire a young or inexperienced lawyer who is just finding his or her way around the differing court systems in the numerous municipalities in Johnson County, Kansas, and may have never actually tried a case to the Judge who will be deciding the issues in your case.

Act Quickly to Avoid a Suspended Driver’s License

In both Missouri and Kansas, you must file a written request for a hearing to prevent an automatic suspension of your driver’s license – in Missouri within 15 days of your arrest, in Kansas within 14 calendar days of your arrest. By waiting to take action, you can lose your drivers license before you have even been to court on the underlying DUI. I will represent you at the administrative hearing to argue against suspension of your driving privileges.

Experience Makes the Difference

In defending against DUI charges, experience counts. I prepare every case as though it were going to trial. I believe that is the only way to truly know the detailed facts of each case. If a better outcome is available by means of plea negotiations, I have always believed that the prosecutor is much more likely to make a favorable offer in a case that he or she knows the defense lawyer is prepared to try if necessary.  I am a member of the Kansas association of Criminal Defense Lawyer, the National association of Criminal defense Lawyers, and the National College for DUI Defense.  Let my knowledge and experience work for you and build the very best possible defense of serious DUI and DWI charges.

If you have been charged with an alcohol related driving offense, contact a Missouri and Kansas DUI attorney with the knowledge and experience to protect your rights. I have successfully challenged many DUI prosecutions and my experience can help you, too, whether it is your first DUI or your fourth.

Watch this video to learn how Paul Cramm defends DUI and DWI defense and to see why you need his representation in your Kansas City Drunk Driving case.

Paul D. Cramm

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(913) 322-3265

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