Fayette, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Fayette, MO

DUI attorney near me in Fayette, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Fayette, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Fayette and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Fayette, MO 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. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Fayette, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Fayette, 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 civil and criminal courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and specifies the guidelines 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, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Fayette, MO who will stand up on your behalf and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested 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 drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by intoxicating substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you are liable 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 while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Fayette-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Fayette, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Fayette, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what you should do 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 incredible Fayette, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

Become familiar with the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Fayette, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Fayette, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, going the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as alternating extremes 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 meet the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your Fayette, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Fayette, MO who will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Fayette, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Fayette, 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 Fayette, MO stops 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 blood, breath, saliva or 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, pursuant to which, as a Fayette, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent 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 chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Fayette, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Fayette, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if 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 defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Fayette, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Fayette, MO immediately. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Fayette, MO 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 Fayette, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to systematically screen 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 debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

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

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is closely 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, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you approach a checkpoint in Fayette, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Fayette, 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 compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Fayette, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Fayette or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Fayette, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:

• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer

Click below to learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Fayette, MO can defend you.

• DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
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• 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 Fayette, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Fayette, 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Fayette, MO can defend you. Contact our Fayette, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.