Rock Hill, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Rock Hill, MO

DUI attorney near me in Rock Hill, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Rock Hill, 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 protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Rock Hill and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial 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 Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri courts is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and lays forth the rules for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you deserve a DUI attorney near Rock Hill, 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 number of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of driving a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that you are liable to arrest if a police officer believes 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, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Rock Hill-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 Rock Hill, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Rock Hill, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

Find out about the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Rock Hill, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Rock Hill, 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 drifting out of lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

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 place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Rock Hill, MO DWI, reach out to 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, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Rock Hill, MO who can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Rock Hill, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected 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 Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via whichRock Hill, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you 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, you cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Rock Hill, 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 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 Rock Hill, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Rock Hill, MO as soon as possible. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Rock Hill, MO will design an insurmountable defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Rock Hill, 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Checkpoints in Rock Hill and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, turn to 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. 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, .

If you are going through a checkpoint in Rock Hill, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Rock Hill, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact 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 Rock Hill, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence in Rock Hill or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Rock Hill, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, including:

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Rock Hill, MO can defend you.

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• Other Criminal Defense Cases

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Rock Hill, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill, MO can protect you. Contact our Rock Hill, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.