O’Fallon, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me O’Fallon, MO

DUI attorney near me in O’Fallon, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in O’Fallon, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in O’Fallon and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute O’Fallon, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, 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 O’Fallon, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in O’Fallon, MO?

Though many people refer to it 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 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and defines the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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 may need a DUI attorney near O’Fallon, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

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. While DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by intoxicating substances or 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable O’Fallon-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 O’Fallon, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading O’Fallon, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our unstoppable O’Fallon, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in O’Fallon, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in O’Fallon, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not able to lawfully conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your O’Fallon, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving under the influence, a DUI attorney near O’Fallon, MO will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in O’Fallon, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, via which, as a O’Fallon, 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 you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary O’Fallon, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near O’Fallon, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt to determine whether you are intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in O’Fallon, MO will design an impenetrable 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 O’Fallon, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to systematically screen drivers for 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.

Checkpoints in O’Fallon 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. When it doubt, call 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. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you are going through a checkpoint in O’Fallon, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence in O’Fallon or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of O’Fallon, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, 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 the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near O’Fallon, MO, find a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. A Missouri DWI and similar charges are serious accusations that can carry significant consequences. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in O’Fallon, MO can defend you. Contact our O’Fallon, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.