DUI attorney near me in Marion County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Marion County, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the circumstances, when you are arrested for driving while intoxicated 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 Marion County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy Marion County, MO DUI attorney near you 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Marion County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.
Legal Videos
DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage
Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …
Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
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What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.
Long Term Consequences of a DWI
What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …
DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage
Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …
Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?
What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.
Long Term Consequences of a DWI
What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …
What is a DUI in Marion 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 law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and lays forth the rules 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you deserve a DUI attorney near Marion County, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.
A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a long list of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. While 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 under the influence of another intoxicating substance.
The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 Marion County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, experienced and skilled. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.
Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Marion County, MO
You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are stopped for driving intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Marion County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Marion County, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.
Find out about the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.
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DUI Traffic Stops in Marion County, MO
A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Marion County, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.
A police officer is not able to lawfully stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.
If you suspect that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your Marion County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, a DUI attorney near Marion County, MO can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Marion County, MO
If a law officer stops you 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 Marion County, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.
- Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in Marion County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.
Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Marion County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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 already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Marion County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Marion County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
- Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are meant to determine whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Marion County, MO and throughout the United States.
- Walk and turn – walk heel to toe in a straight line for nine steps, turn around and repeat in the opposite direction
- 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
- 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Marion County, MO immediately. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Marion County, MO 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.
Marion County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Marion County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Marion County, MO
A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri lawmakers have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.
Checkpoints in Marion 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, 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 directly related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:
- announced 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
- visibly associated with law enforcement
Perhaps most importantly, 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 Marion County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Marion County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your case 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 Marion County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte 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 of alcohol or drugs in Marion County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Marion County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:
Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Marion County, MO can defend 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 Marion County, MO | Combs Waterkotte
There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Marion 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Marion County, MO will defend you. Contact our Marion County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.
