Lawrence County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Lawrence County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Lawrence County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Lawrence County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Lawrence County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Lawrence County, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, 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 Lawrence County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Lawrence 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 outline what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and specifies the rules for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI 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, you deserve a DUI attorney near Lawrence County, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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, including but not limited to driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of driving a vehicle while under the influence of another mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs 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 being high as a result of marijuana or THC use or under the influence of 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Lawrence 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 a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Lawrence County, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Lawrence County, MO DWI, contact 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, a DUI attorney near Lawrence County, MO will fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Lawrence County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Lawrence 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)

   In Lawrence County, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence 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 substances like 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 Lawrence County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, 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 experienced Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine whether 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 intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Lawrence 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

   As a Missouri driver, you have the right 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 Lawrence County, MO as soon as possible. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney will design an unwavering 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 Lawrence County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. There are federal laws that regulate the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Lawrence County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but you should still familiarize yourself with 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 public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• announced 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
• clearly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a logical reason for implementing 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 approach a checkpoint in Lawrence County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Lawrence County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your case 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 Lawrence County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Lawrence County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Lawrence County, MO attorneys have expertise in 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

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Lawrence 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

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

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Lawrence 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Lawrence County, MO can defend you. Contact our Lawrence County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.