Springfield, Missouri
Criminal Defense Counsel in Springfield, Missouri
Felony and misdemeanor defense, DWI, drug and license matters. Your case is handled personally by attorney Ted Eckelkamp.Felony and misdemeanor charges, DWI, drug offenses, license matters, traffic tickets and injury claims. Your case is handled personally by attorney Ted Eckelkamp, from the first consultation through its resolution.
- Education
- J.D., University of Missouri, 2012
- Office
- The Holland Building, Park Central Square
- Representation
- One attorney, personally, on every matter
Edward D. “Ted” Eckelkamp
Attorney at Law
The firm
Practice areas
Every matter below is handled personally by the firm's attorney.
- Criminal defenseFelonies and misdemeanors, from assault to warrants
- DWIFirst offense to felony DWI, and the 15-day license hearing
- Drug chargesPossession, delivery, trafficking and manufacturing
- Driver's license15-day hearing, reinstatement, limited driving privilege
- Traffic ticketsPoints, insurance and your record
- Personal injuryCrashes and injuries caused by someone else
By charge
Select the charge you are facing
- First DWIArrested at .08 or more
- Repeat or felony DWIA second, third or later DWI
- Drug possessionMeth, pills, marijuana, anything else
- Delivery or traffickingWeight, intent, a sale
- Assault or domestic assaultA fight, a 911 call, an order
- WeaponsUnlawful use, felon in possession
- Stealing or burglaryShoplifting to a felony
- Probation violation or warrantA missed date, a new charge
- License suspended or revokedThe DOR notice, reinstatement
- Traffic ticketPoints, insurance, a CDL
The 15-day deadline
A DWI arrest starts a license deadline
The Department of Revenue acts independently of the criminal court. Enter the date on your notice and the page calculates your deadline.
Deadline calculator
The 15-day hearing request
You have 15 days from the date on the Department of Revenue notice to request the hearing. § 302.530
The rule
15 days
Enter the date on your Form 2385 to calculate your deadline.
The course of a case
The criminal case and your license, side by side
What the court is doing and what the Department of Revenue is doing at the same moment. Select a stage.
- 1
Day 0
The arrest
The criminal case: Booking at the jail, then bond or a summons. Say nothing about the case to anyone but your lawyer.
Your license: At .08 or more the officer takes your license and hands you Form 2385. It is also a 15-day driving permit.
- 2
Days 1 to 15
The 15-day window
The criminal case: Bond conditions apply. Your attorney obtains the report and the video and reads the charging papers against the definitions.
Your license: Request the Department of Revenue hearing before day 15, or the suspension starts on its own.
- 3
Day 15, if no request
The suspension starts
The criminal case: Nothing changes in the criminal case.
Your license: 30 days with no driving, then 60 days restricted; or a 90-day interlock privilege instead. A prior alcohol contact within five years means a one-year revocation.
- 4
Weeks later
The first court date
The criminal case: Arraignment or a first appearance. Nothing is decided that day.
Your license: With a hearing requested, you keep driving on temporary permits until the final order.
- 5
Months 1 to 6
Discovery, motions, the hearing
The criminal case: Reports, instrument records, video. Problems become motions to suppress.
Your license: The DOR hearing decides one thing: whether you were driving at .08 or more. It is not the criminal case.
- 6
The end of the case
Resolution
The criminal case: A dismissal, a plea to something smaller, or trial. You make the final call.
Your license: A conviction carries its own license consequences; two or more add the five- and ten-year denials.
The Attorney
Edward D. “Ted” Eckelkamp
Attorney at Law
Edward D. “Ted” Eckelkamp earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Missouri School of Law in 2012 and represents clients in criminal, DWI, drug, license, traffic and injury matters from the Holland Building on Park Central Square in downtown Springfield. He handles every matter the firm accepts personally, from the first consultation through the resolution of the case.
- Education
- J.D., University of Missouri School of Law, 2012
- Office
- The Holland Building, 205 Park Central East, Suite 403, Springfield
- Representation
- Every matter handled personally by the attorney
Questions
Frequently asked questions
I was arrested in Springfield last night. What should I do first?
Say nothing about the case to anyone but your lawyer, keep every piece of paper you were handed, and call. If it was a DWI arrest at .08 or more, the officer may have handed you a license notice (Form 2385); you have 15 days from its date to request a Department of Revenue hearing, and that clock runs whether or not you have a court date yet.
Do I have to come to the office for the first consultation?
Start with a call. The office is in The Holland Building on Park Central Square, and initial consultations are generally held by phone before an office visit.
What happens after I send a consultation request?
Mr. Eckelkamp or his paralegal will return your call at the number you provide. Keep your paperwork near the phone, and do not post about the case or discuss it with anyone else in the meantime.
Does the firm handle cases outside Springfield?
Mr. Eckelkamp appears in courts across southwest Missouri. Tell the office which court your case is in and you will be told whether the firm can take it.
Request a Consultation
Discuss your case with the firm
Send the charge, your court date and your number. Mr. Eckelkamp or his paralegal will return your call at the number you provide.
What happens next
The firm returns your call
Mr. Eckelkamp or his paralegal will return your call at the number you provide. Have your paperwork near the phone if you can.
You discuss what happened
What you were charged with, where, and what the paperwork says. Mr. Eckelkamp explains what the charge means and what comes first.
You decide how to proceed
If it makes sense to work together, Mr. Eckelkamp explains the fee and the next steps. If not, you still leave knowing where you stand.
Call the Firm
(417) 290-2006Call or send a consultation request and the office will arrange a time to speak.