Caldwell County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Caldwell County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Caldwell County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Caldwell County, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Caldwell County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute Caldwell County, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They 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. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Caldwell County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Caldwell County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri courts is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and defines the rules for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Caldwell County, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a variety 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 drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by psychoactive substances or 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 or a family member have been arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Caldwell County, MO DUI attorney near you and 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 have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Caldwell County, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Caldwell County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Caldwell County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not able to lawfully conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Caldwell County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Caldwell County, MO can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Caldwell County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Caldwell County, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   When police officers stop drivers in Caldwell County MO for DUIs, 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 check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via whichCaldwell County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Caldwell County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Caldwell County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed lawfully and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to determine whether you are intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Caldwell 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Caldwell County, MO as soon as possible. If you already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Caldwell County, MO will build an impenetrable defense to your case or ensure that evidence that does not meet Missouri’s rules of evidence such as improperly obtained sobriety tests are not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Caldwell County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Missouri legislators have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Caldwell County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. If you are not sure, call 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 public 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 find yourself at a checkpoint in Caldwell County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Caldwell County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your case with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Caldwell County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Caldwell County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Caldwell County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other case types, including:

• Gun Crime Lawyer
• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer

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

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Caldwell County, MO, find a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. Being arrested and convicted of a DWI or similar charge in Missouri is a serious matter that can carry significant consequences. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Caldwell County, MO can defend you. Contact our Caldwell County, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.