Springfield, Missouri
Criminal defense in Springfield, from your lawyer who actually handles your case
Mizzou Law, 2012. Criminal defense from the Holland Building in downtown Springfield. You deal with Ted himself, from the first call on.Ted Eckelkamp earned his law degree at the University of Missouri in 2012 and practices criminal defense from the Holland Building on Park Central Square in downtown Springfield. You deal with Ted himself, from the first call on.
- J.D., Mizzou Law, 2012
- One lawyer. One number.
- The Holland Building, downtown Springfield
What Ted handles
- 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
I've been charged with...
- 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 clock that starts at a DWI arrest
You have 15 days to save your license
The Department of Revenue acts on its own, whatever happens in court. Count your days here.
Count your days
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
Type the date on your Form 2385 and the page counts it for you.
How a case moves
Two clocks, side by side
What the criminal case is doing and what your license is doing at the same moment. Tap a step.
- 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. Ted gets 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.
Your lawyer
Ted Eckelkamp
Ted Eckelkamp earned his law degree at the University of Missouri in 2012 and practices criminal defense from the Holland Building on Park Central Square in downtown Springfield. You deal with Ted himself, from the first call on.
- J.D., University of Missouri School of Law, 2012
Questions
What people ask first
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 downtown to talk to Ted?
Start with a call. Ted's office is in The Holland Building on Park Central Square, and most first conversations happen by phone before anyone comes in.
What happens after I send the form?
Ted or his paralegal will call you back at the number you give. Keep your paperwork near the phone, and do not post about the case or discuss it with anyone else in the meantime.
Does Ted handle cases outside Springfield?
Ted appears in courts across southwest Missouri. Tell him which court your case is in and he will tell you whether he can take it.
Talk to Ted about your case
What happens next
Ted calls you back
Ted or his paralegal will call you back at the number you give. Have your paperwork near the phone if you can.
You talk through what happened
What you were charged with, where, and what the paperwork says. Ted tells you what the charge means and what comes first.
You decide
If it makes sense to work together, Ted explains the fee and what he does next. If not, you still leave knowing where you stand.
Rather talk than type? Call, and the office sets a time.