Maryland Heights, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Maryland Heights, MO

DUI attorney near me in Maryland Heights, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Maryland Heights, 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 protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Maryland Heights and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy Maryland Heights, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced 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 use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Maryland Heights, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after 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 Maryland Heights, MO?

Though people often 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 define what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and establishes the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Maryland Heights, 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 number of reasons. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by intoxicating 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Maryland Heights-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 Maryland Heights, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced Maryland Heights, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what you should do if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Maryland Heights, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Maryland Heights, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Maryland Heights, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic 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 higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Maryland Heights, 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, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Maryland Heights, MO who can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Maryland Heights, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of drunk or drugged 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 Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights MO for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence 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 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 Maryland Heights, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to 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 breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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, speak to an experienced Maryland Heights, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Maryland Heights, 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 administered legally 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 gauge whether you are intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Maryland Heights, 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Maryland Heights, MO as soon as you can. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Maryland Heights, MO will build an insurmountable 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 Maryland Heights, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used 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. Missouri lawmakers have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Maryland Heights and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still prudent to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, 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. 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
• visibly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, 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 Maryland Heights, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Maryland Heights, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to 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 Maryland Heights, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Maryland Heights or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Maryland Heights, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, 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

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO | Combs Waterkotte

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