Henry County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Henry County, MO

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

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Henry County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Henry County, MO will make the best of your situation. They 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 negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Henry County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Henry 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 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and establishes the guidelines 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, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Henry 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 long list of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs 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 while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Henry 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 Henry County, 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 Henry County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what steps to take if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our unstoppable Henry County, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Henry County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Henry County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and any other behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

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 more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Henry County, 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 under the influence, a DUI attorney near Henry County, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Henry County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Henry 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)

   When police officers stop drivers in Henry County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, 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 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 in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Henry County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know 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 take the test.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Henry County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Henry County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed lawfully 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 are designed to determine 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 Henry 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

   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, call a DUI attorney near you in Henry County, MO immediately. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Henry County, MO DUI attorney will build a 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 Henry 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Henry 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, 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 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 logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in Henry County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Henry County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact 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 Henry County, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Henry County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Henry County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range 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 Henry 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 Henry County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Henry County, MO, find 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Henry County, MO will defend you. Contact our Henry County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.