Laclede County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Laclede County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Laclede County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Laclede County, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Laclede County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a sharp DUI attorney near Laclede 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 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 Laclede County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Laclede County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri civil and criminal courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and specifies the law Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you deserve a DUI attorney near Laclede County, 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 number 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 due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by intoxicating substances or 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Laclede County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and skilled. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

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

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that 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 Laclede County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Laclede County, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Laclede County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Laclede County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, 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 more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Laclede County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Laclede County, MO who will fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Laclede County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Laclede 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 Laclede County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, 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 check for the presence and 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 which, as a Laclede County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Laclede County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Laclede County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed 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 attempt to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Laclede 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

   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, call a DUI attorney near you in Laclede County, MO as soon as you can. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Laclede County, MO will build a defense to your case or ensure that evidence that does not meet Missouri’s rules of evidence such as improperly obtained sobriety tests are not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Laclede County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Laclede County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still prudent to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. If you are not sure, turn 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 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
• clearly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a logical 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 find yourself at a checkpoint in Laclede County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Laclede County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Laclede County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Laclede County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Laclede County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
• 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 Laclede 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 Laclede County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Laclede 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Laclede County, MO can defend you. Contact our Laclede County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.