Maries County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Maries County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Maries County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Maries County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are arrested for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Maries County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a sharp Maries County, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Maries County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Maries County, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri legislation is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you deserve a DUI attorney near Maries County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

You could be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a number of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, including but not limited to driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by intoxicating substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that a police officer can arrest you if they suspect that you are impaired, including due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Maries County-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Maries County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced Maries County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Maries County, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

Know the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Maries County, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Maries County, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Maries County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Maries County, MO can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Maries County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Maries County, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   When police officers stop drivers in Maries County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Maries County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Maries County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Maries County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are meant to determine whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Maries County, MO and all over the United States.

   1. Walk and turn – walk heel to toe in a straight line for nine steps, turn around and repeat in the opposite direction
   2. One leg stand – lift one leg six inches above the ground and stand on the other leg for a period of time without losing balance
   3. Gaze tests – the officer holds an object and asks the driver to follow the object with their gaze as the officer moves the object

   It is your right in Missouri to refuse to perform a field test. If you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Maries County, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Maries County, MO will build an unwavering defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Maries County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Lawmakers in Missouri have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Maries County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, call a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly related to roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• advertised to the public in advance
• organized by supervising law enforcement officers
• carried out in a way that is neutral to all drivers (i.e. randomly selected drivers)
• limited in time
• visibly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Maries County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Maries County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Maries County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Maries County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Maries County, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, including:

• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Maries County, MO can defend you.

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Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Maries County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Maries County, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. A Missouri DWI and similar charges are serious accusations that can carry significant consequences. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Maries County, MO can defend you. Contact our Maries County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.