Cedar Hill, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Cedar Hill, MO

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

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Cedar Hill and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute DUI attorney near Cedar Hill, 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 negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri legislation is 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 lays forth the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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, you may need a DUI attorney near Cedar Hill, 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 variety 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 impaired by another mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by psychoactive substances or substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that you can be subject 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, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Cedar Hill-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Cedar Hill, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced Cedar Hill, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to 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 were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Cedar Hill, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Cedar Hill, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Cedar Hill, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Cedar Hill, 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 then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Cedar Hill, MO will fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Cedar Hill, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Cedar Hill, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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 Cedar Hill, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Cedar Hill, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Cedar Hill, 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

   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 Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, MO will build an insurmountable 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 Cedar Hill, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Lawmakers in Missouri have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Cedar Hill and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still 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.

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. 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
• clearly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a legitimate reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you approach a checkpoint in Cedar Hill, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Cedar Hill, 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.

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

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Cedar Hill, 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 Cedar Hill, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Cedar Hill, 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Cedar Hill, MO can protect you. Contact our Cedar Hill, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.