DUI Attorney Near Me Bates County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Bates County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Bates County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Bates County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy DUI attorney near Bates County, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, reduce the charges 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 all legal proceedings for your Bates County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Bates County, MO?

Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and specifies 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Bates County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a variety of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for 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 on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by some kind of psychoactive drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs 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 under the influence in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Bates County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Bates County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Bates County, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Bates County, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

Find out about the rules and procedure for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Bates 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 Bates County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated meet the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Bates County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Bates County, MO who will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Bates County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Bates 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 Bates County MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Bates County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Bates County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Bates County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law 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 are meant to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Bates 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Bates County, MO as soon as you can. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Bates County, MO will design a 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 Bates County, MO

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

Checkpoints in Bates 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 regulating checkpoints. 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 directly related to roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• announced to the public in advance
• sanctioned or planned by supervising law enforcement officers
• carried out in a way that is neutral to all drivers (i.e. randomly selected drivers)
• limited in time
• clearly associated with law enforcement

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

If you are going through a checkpoint in Bates County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Bates County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to 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 Bates County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Bates County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Bates County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:

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

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Bates 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 Bates County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Bates 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 Bates County, MO will protect you. Contact our Bates County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.