Kirkwood, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Kirkwood, MO

DUI attorney near me in Kirkwood, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Kirkwood, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the situation, when you are arrested 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 knows their way around DUI cases in Kirkwood and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy DUI attorney near Kirkwood, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, 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 the entire legal process for your Kirkwood, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Kirkwood, MO?

Commonly referred to 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 law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and establishes the rules 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, you deserve a DUI attorney near Kirkwood, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

You could be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a number 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 on suspicion of driving a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs or 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 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 as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Kirkwood-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Kirkwood, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Kirkwood, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

Know the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Kirkwood, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Kirkwood, 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 other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes 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 breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Kirkwood, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Kirkwood, MO who can help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Kirkwood, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Kirkwood, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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, consult an exemplary Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine 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 determine whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Kirkwood, 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Kirkwood, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Kirkwood, MO will build a 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 Kirkwood, MO

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

Police departments in Kirkwood and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, speak to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• 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 legitimate reason for carrying out 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 Kirkwood, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Kirkwood, MO attorneys will tenaciously 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.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Kirkwood, 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 in Kirkwood or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Kirkwood, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range 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

Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Kirkwood, 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

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

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Kirkwood, MO, you need to hire a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. 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 Kirkwood, MO will defend you. Contact our Kirkwood, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.