Texas County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Texas County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Texas County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Texas County, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your 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 Texas County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a sharp Texas County, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Texas County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Texas County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the guidelines 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you deserve a DUI attorney near Texas County, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A police officer may arrest someone 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. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by drugs or substances 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 or a family member have been arrested for a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Texas 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 Texas County, MO

You owe it to yourself to 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 Texas County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take 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 incredible Texas County, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Texas 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 Texas County, MO. 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 any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or braking.

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 more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Texas 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 then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Texas County, MO who will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Texas County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Texas 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)

   In Texas County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver was under the influence 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Texas County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Texas County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Texas County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it should or should not be 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 impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Texas 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Texas County, MO immediately. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Texas County, MO DUI attorney will build a defense to your case or may even be able to suppress the field test evidence if they do not meet the rules of evidence in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Texas County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Police departments in Texas County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, 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
• 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 legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you are going through a checkpoint in Texas County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Texas County, MO attorneys will ferociously 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 Texas County, MO area. 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 charged with driving under the influence in Texas County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Texas County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:

• 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 what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Texas 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

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Texas County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Texas County, MO, you need to hire 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 Texas County, MO can protect you. Contact our Texas County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.