Portage Des Sioux, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Portage Des Sioux, MO

DUI attorney near me in Portage Des Sioux, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Portage Des Sioux, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving while intoxicated 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 Portage Des Sioux and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you 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 use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Portage Des Sioux, MO?

Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri legislation is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and defines the rules 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Portage Des Sioux, 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 number of reasons. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for 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 driving 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 drugs or 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 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 under the influence in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Portage Des Sioux-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, diligent and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Portage Des Sioux, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what you should do if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Portage Des Sioux, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Portage Des Sioux, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Portage Des Sioux, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not allowed to conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by 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 or arrested for your Portage Des Sioux, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Portage Des Sioux, MO can 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected inhebriated 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 Portage Des Sioux, 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO stops for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Portage Des Sioux, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine if 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 are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to gauge whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Portage Des Sioux, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Portage Des Sioux, MO immediately. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney will design an impenetrable 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Portage Des Sioux and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. 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 closely related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• 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
• visibly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you are going through a checkpoint in Portage Des Sioux, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Portage Des Sioux, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss 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 Portage Des Sioux, 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 charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Portage Des Sioux or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Portage Des Sioux, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, including:

• Homicide Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Portage Des Sioux, 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Portage Des Sioux, MO, you need to hire 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Portage Des Sioux, MO can protect you. Contact our Portage Des Sioux, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.