St. Clair, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Clair, MO

DUI attorney near me in St. Clair, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in St. Clair is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are arrested 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 has a track record of winning in St. Clair and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your St. Clair, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in St. Clair, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri courts actually call the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and defines the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near St. Clair, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a variety of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by psychoactive substances 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, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable St. Clair-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in St. Clair, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced St. Clair, 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 driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable St. Clair, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in St. Clair, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in St. Clair, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic driving behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your St. Clair, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in St. Clair, MO who will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in St. Clair, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by St. Clair, 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)

   When police officers stop drivers in St. Clair MO for DUIs, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. 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.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichSt. Clair, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good 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 take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered 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 spelled out three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO as soon as you can. If you already completed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your St. Clair, MO DUI attorney will design an impenetrable 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 St. Clair, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to randomly check 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. Missouri legislators have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in St. Clair and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but you should still familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, speak 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:

• 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

In addition, 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 approach a checkpoint in St. Clair, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled St. Clair, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your case 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 St. Clair, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in St. Clair or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top St. Clair, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other kinds of cases, including:

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in St. Clair, 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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in St. Clair, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near St. Clair, MO, you need to hire 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in St. Clair, MO will defend you. Contact our St. Clair, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.