Saline County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Saline County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Saline County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Saline County, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the circumstances, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Saline County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute Saline County, 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Saline County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Saline 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 civil and criminal courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and lays forth the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI, 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 Saline 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 driving a vehicle while under the influence of another psychoactive drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated 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 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, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Saline County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, experienced and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

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

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Saline County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to 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 Saline County, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Saline 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 Saline County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Saline County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Saline County, MO will fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Saline County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Saline County, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   When police officers stop drivers in Saline County MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated 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 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 whichSaline County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, 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, speak to an exemplary Saline County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Saline County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests 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 spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Saline 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

   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 Saline County, MO immediately. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Saline County, 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 Saline County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Police departments in Saline County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, 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:

• announced 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 implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you are going through a checkpoint in Saline County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Saline County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review 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 Saline County, 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 Saline County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Saline County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

• Gun Crime Lawyer
• 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

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Saline 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

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Saline County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Saline County, 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Saline County, MO will protect you. Contact our Saline County, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.