Platte County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Platte County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Platte County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Platte County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Platte County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Platte 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 all legal proceedings for your Platte 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 Platte County, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and lays forth the law for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI 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 Platte County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A police officer may arrest someone for a DWI in Missouri for a long list 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 due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by psychoactive substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 or a family member have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Platte County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, diligent and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Platte County, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Platte County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Platte County, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

Learn the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Platte 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 Platte County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not permitted to conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Platte County, MO DWI, contact 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 Platte County, MO who can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Platte County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Platte 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 Platte County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Platte County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in 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 or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Platte 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 Platte County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully 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 attempt to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Platte 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

   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 Platte County, MO as soon as you can. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Platte 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 Platte County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way 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 explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Platte County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still prudent to 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.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly related to roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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

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 Platte County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Platte County, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your case with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Platte County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Platte County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Platte County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, 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 different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Platte 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

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

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Platte County, MO, find a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Platte County, MO can protect you. Contact our Platte County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.