Christian County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Christian County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Christian County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Christian County, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Christian County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute DUI attorney near Christian County, MO 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. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Christian County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Christian County, MO?

Though people often refer to it 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 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the guidelines 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you deserve a DUI attorney near Christian County, 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. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though 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 another mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs or substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you are liable 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Christian County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, diligent and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Christian County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Christian County, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Christian County, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

Find out about the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Christian County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Christian County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or braking.

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

If you believe that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Christian County, 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 have proof that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Christian 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 Christian County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Christian County, 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 Christian County MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to 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 in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Christian County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent 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 a breathalyzer, 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, speak to an experienced Christian County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Christian County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law 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 are designed 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in Christian County, 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

   It is your right in Missouri to refuse to perform a field test. If you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Christian County, MO immediately. If you have already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Christian County, MO 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 Christian County, 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. There are federal laws that regulate the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Missouri legislators have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Christian County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, 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:

• 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

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical 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 Christian County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Christian County, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your situation with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Christian County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Christian County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Christian County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, 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

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Christian 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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Christian County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Christian County, MO, find 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 Christian County, MO can protect you. Contact our Christian County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.