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 situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated 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, an astute DUI attorney near Maries County, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will 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 after being arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Maries County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and specifies the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Maries County, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A police officer may arrest someone for a DWI in Missouri for a long list of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. While many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by another mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that you can be subject to arrest if a police officer believes that you are impaired, including due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you or a family member have been arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Maries County-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Maries County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Maries County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Maries County, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

Know the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Maries County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Maries County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not able to lawfully stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Maries County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Maries County, MO who can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Maries County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of drunk or drugged 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)

   In Maries County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Maries County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you do take 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 determine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed lawfully and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that attempt to determine whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Maries County, MO and throughout 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 as soon as possible. If you have already completed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Maries County, MO DUI attorney will build an unwavering defense to your case or may even be able to suppress the field test evidence if they do not meet the rules of evidence in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Maries County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri legislators have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Maries County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, turn to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

The police must be able to justify the use and location for a sobriety checkpoint by showing that the decisions are closely 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

In addition, there must be a legitimate reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach 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 ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss 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. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence in Maries County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Maries County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Maries County, MO can do to help you.

• DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
• CDL DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• DWI Accident Lawyer in St. Louis
• First Offense DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Marijuana DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Second Offense DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• DWI with Drugs Lawyer in St. Louis
• Felony DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Hit and Run DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Other Criminal Defense Cases

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Maries County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Maries County, MO, you need to hire a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. Being arrested and convicted of a DWI or similar charge in Missouri is a serious matter 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 will defend you. Contact our Maries County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.