De Soto, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me De Soto, MO

DUI attorney near me in De Soto, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in De Soto is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are arrested for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in De Soto and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute DUI attorney near De Soto, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, 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 use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your De Soto, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in De Soto, 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 the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and defines the guidelines for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you may need a DUI attorney near De Soto, 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 variety of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for 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 under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits 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 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, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable De Soto-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in De Soto, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced De Soto, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about 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 being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable De Soto, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in De Soto, MO

In order to pull someone over, a De Soto, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

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

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your De Soto, MO DWI, contact 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 intoxicated, a DUI attorney near De Soto, MO will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in De Soto, 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. There are two types of tests De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO stops for DUIs, 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 in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a De Soto, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, 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 do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced De Soto, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near De Soto, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 attempt to gauge 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 De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO as soon as you can. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your De Soto, MO DUI attorney will build an unwavering 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 De Soto, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway 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.

Checkpoints in De Soto and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise 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 closely 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

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in De Soto, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined De Soto, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact 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 De Soto, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been charged with driving under the influence in De Soto or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top De Soto, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other kinds of cases, including:

Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near De Soto, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 De Soto, MO can protect you. Contact our De Soto, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.