Lewis County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Lewis County, MO

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

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Lewis County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute Lewis County, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They 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 negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Lewis County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Lewis 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 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and lays forth 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, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Lewis 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 many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly 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 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 a DWI in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Lewis County-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

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

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Lewis County, 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 operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Lewis County, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

Become familiar with the rules and procedure for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Lewis County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Lewis County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and any other 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 satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Lewis County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. 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 Lewis County, MO can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Lewis County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. 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 in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Lewis County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Lewis County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Lewis County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine 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 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in Lewis 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Lewis County, MO immediately. If you already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Lewis County, MO will design 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 Lewis County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for 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 lawmakers have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Lewis County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, 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 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 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 approach a checkpoint in Lewis County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Lewis County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

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

• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer
• Violent Crime Lawyer
• Drug Crimes Lawyer
• Gun Crime Lawyer
• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Lewis 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 Lewis County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Lewis County, MO, find a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. A Missouri DWI and similar charges are serious accusations that can carry significant consequences. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Lewis County, MO will protect you. Contact our Lewis County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.