Polk County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Polk County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Polk County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Polk County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Polk County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute Polk County, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Polk County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when 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 Polk 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 law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and defines the law for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI, 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 Polk County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

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. Though DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Polk County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and skilled. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Polk County, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Polk 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 a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Polk County, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Polk County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Polk County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not allowed to conduct a traffic stop unless they can identify 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 feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Polk County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Polk County, MO will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Polk 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 intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Polk 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 Polk County MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence 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 check for the presence and 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, via which, as a Polk County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Polk County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Polk County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in Polk 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 Polk County, MO as soon as possible. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Polk County, MO DUI attorney will build an insurmountable 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 Polk 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Polk 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. When it doubt, speak 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. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• advertised 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 logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Polk County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Polk 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 compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Polk County, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Polk County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Polk 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

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Polk 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

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

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Polk County, MO, find 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 Polk County, MO will protect you. Contact our Polk County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.