Carroll County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Carroll County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Carroll County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Carroll County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Carroll County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Carroll County, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, 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 navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Carroll County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Carroll County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and specifies the law 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Carroll County, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while impaired by another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by psychoactive 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 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 driving under the influence in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Carroll County-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Carroll County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Carroll County, 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 were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Carroll County, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Carroll County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Carroll County, 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 the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to meet the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Carroll County, 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 drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Carroll County, 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 Carroll County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Carroll County, 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 Carroll County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence 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 are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichCarroll County, 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 a chemical test like a breathalyzer, 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 do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Carroll County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Carroll County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally and whether it should or should not be 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 specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Carroll County, 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 Carroll County, MO immediately. If you already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Carroll County, MO DUI attorney will build 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 Carroll County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to systematically screen drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri lawmakers have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Carroll County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to familiarize yourself with 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 directly related to public safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• advertised to the public in advance
• organized 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 carrying out 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 Carroll County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Carroll County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review 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 Carroll County, 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 accused of driving under the influence in Carroll County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Carroll County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Carroll County, 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 Carroll County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Carroll County, MO, find 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 Carroll County, MO will defend you. Contact our Carroll County, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.