Arrest line open 24 / 7 Minneapolis · St. Paul · Hennepin Co. № 001

DWI defense.
Minneapolis,
Minnesota.

I'm Bruno Franco Netto. I defend drivers in Minneapolis and across Minnesota on DUI and DWI charges. That's what I do. When you call, you reach me directly.

Free initial consultation Flat fees from $3,500. Implied consent hearing included. or call (715) 220-0802 directly →
If you were just arrested

The first twelve hours matter.

Minnesota's implied consent clock starts when you're pulled over. What you do before morning often shapes the case.

01

Say almost nothing.

You're required to identify yourself. You're not required to explain where you were, what you drank, or how much. Politely decline roadside questions. Politely decline field sobriety tests. Ask for a lawyer.

02

Decide on the breath test carefully.

Refusing the official station test in Minnesota is its own crime, often more serious than the DWI itself. Taking it has consequences too. If you can possibly call me before you decide, do. That's why the line is 24 / 7.

03

Write it all down at home.

Before you sleep: where you were, what you ate, when you drank, the stop, the officer's words, the tests. Details fade quickly, and a good timeline is often what a defense is built on. Send what you have to my office in the morning.

Still in those twelve hours?

(715) 220-0802
Bruno Franco Netto
Bruno Franco Netto Minneapolis, MN
The attorney

A solo practice, focused on DWI.

Franco Netto Law is a solo practice focused on DWI, DUI, and the license and implied-consent matters that come with them.

When you hire me, you work with me directly. No intake coordinators, no rotation of associates.

The state's case is organized and moves fast. A good defense has to meet it on equal terms, earlier than most people realize.

Bar admission Minnesota, 2025
Focus area DWI / DUI defense
Coverage Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington Co.
Languages English, Español, Português
The practice

Practice areas.

01

First-offense DWI / DUI

Misdemeanor and gross-misdemeanor charges, including the collateral effects on license, record, insurance, and future employment disclosures. Many first-time cases have more defensible issues than people assume.

02

Test refusal & implied consent

Minnesota gives you 60 days to request a judicial review of a license revocation, and the criminal charge often runs alongside it.

03

Felony DWI & repeat offenses

Fourth-offense-in-ten-year felony cases, aggravating-factor charges, and matters carrying prison exposure. These cases require a different strategy and earlier preparation than a first-offense case.

04

License reinstatement

After cancellation, revocation, or inimical-to-public-safety status. Ignition interlock enrollment, limited licenses, and the paperwork the DPS will not walk you through.

05

Commercial drivers (CDL)

A DWI in a personal vehicle still disqualifies a CDL. If driving is your livelihood, the consequences and the strategy are different from day one, and I handle these separately from the standard track.

06

Under-21 & zero tolerance

Not-a-drop violations, first contact with the court system for college-age drivers, and the long-term record questions that matter more than the fine.

Flat-fee pricing

Transparent fees. No surprises.

I quote flat fees — not hourly bills — agreed in writing at engagement. Every quote includes the implied consent civil hearing, which many firms bill as a separate $1,500–$2,500 line item.

01

First-offense misdemeanor DWI

$3,500

A standard fourth-degree DWI with no aggravating factors and no prior offenses.

02

DWI with aggravating factors

$4,500

High BAC, accident involved, refusal of testing, or child passenger present.

03

Gross misdemeanor

$5,500

Second or third offense within ten years, or first offense with multiple aggravating factors.

04

Felony DWI

Quoted at consultation, from $7,500

Fourth offense within ten years, criminal vehicular operation, or other felony-level charges.

What's included
  • All criminal court appearances through resolution
  • Implied consent petition and hearing
  • Discovery review and motion practice
  • Direct attorney access — no paralegal handoffs
  • Communication with prosecutors and negotiations
Not included — billed separately
  • Trial beyond pretrial motion hearings (quoted if needed)
  • Court filing fees and DPS reinstatement fees (pass-through)
  • Expungement work after the case resolves (separate engagement, typically $1,500–$2,500)

Payment plans available.

Free consultation
Get started

Request a free consultation.

Tell me what happened and I'll get back to you within the hour. No intake coordinators, no screening — you'll hear from me directly.

Prefer to talk now? Call (715) 220-0802 — 24/7.

No attorney-client relationship is formed until a signed engagement letter.
How we work

How working together works.

You should always know where your case stands, what I'm doing, and what comes next. Every engagement follows the same shape.

  1. PHASE 01

    Free consultation

    A twenty-minute call, in person or on video. You describe the situation, I share initial observations, and we decide together whether working together makes sense. There's no pressure to retain afterward.

  2. PHASE 02

    Investigate & preserve

    I pull the squad video, body-cam, calibration logs, dispatch, and officer reports. I get your implied-consent petition filed on time. I build a timeline that protects the defenses that expire if nobody is watching the clock.

  3. PHASE 03

    Negotiate or fight

    Most cases resolve short of trial, and most resolutions are built on the quality of what we found in Phase 02. When the state won't offer something worth taking, I'm ready to try the case. Clients get a real recommendation, not a reflex.

  4. PHASE 04

    After the verdict

    License reinstatement, expungement when eligible, and documentation you can share with an employer. The engagement doesn't end at sentencing.

Common questions

Common questions.

General information, not legal advice. If your question isn't here, call or email. Real answers, no intake screening.

Should I just plead guilty and get it over with?

Rarely the right move without a conversation first, though there are cases where it's the best option available. A DWI conviction in Minnesota can carry consequences that extend well past the fine: possible driver's-license impact, insurance effects, employment disclosures, travel restrictions (especially Canada), and a record that may follow you. Many cases have at least one issue worth examining. Talk to a lawyer before you sign anything.

How much does a DWI defense cost?

Flat fees, agreed in writing before we start. First-offense misdemeanor DWIs are $3,500; gross misdemeanors $5,500; felony DWI quoted at consultation. Every quote includes the implied consent civil hearing — at many firms that's a separate $1,500–$2,500 line item. Payment plans are available. Full pricing is on the Pricing section above.

What happens to my license right now?

In most Minnesota DWI arrests, the state moves to revoke your license through a civil process that runs in parallel with the criminal case. You have sixty days from the notice to request a judicial review. Miss that deadline and the revocation stands regardless of what happens in court. This is the single most common mistake I see people make.

I refused the breath test. Am I in more trouble or less?

It depends. Refusal in Minnesota is a separate crime, and it carries penalties that can exceed a first-offense DWI. On the other hand, refusal removes a specific piece of evidence from the state's case. Which of those matters more depends on what else the state has, and that's exactly the kind of thing the free review sorts out.

Do you handle cases outside Minneapolis?

Yes. I work throughout the Twin Cities metro and in most Minnesota counties. If the stop happened somewhere I genuinely don't practice, I'll tell you and point you to someone who does. I'd rather lose a consultation than send you into court with a lawyer who's guessing.

Can I still drive to work?

Often, yes, but through a specific program rather than your old license. Minnesota has limited-license and ignition-interlock options with different eligibility rules. Part of my job in the first week is figuring out which one fits your situation and getting the paperwork moving, because the default is losing access entirely.

Get in touch

Tell me what happened.

(715) 220-0802
Attorney-answered arrest line · callback within the hour
Office

5775 Wayzata Blvd
Suite 700
St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Email

franconettolaw@outlook.com

Hours

Mon – Fri, 9 – 6
Arrest line always open

Please read before sending. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship, and information sent through it is not confidential or privileged. Please do not include detailed case facts, confidential information, or sensitive details in this message. A relationship is formed only after a signed engagement letter and a completed conflicts check.
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