DUI attorney near me in Ste. Genevieve County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Ste. Genevieve County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving under the influence 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 Ste. Genevieve County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near Ste. Genevieve County, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Ste. Genevieve County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Ste. Genevieve County, MO?
Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri courts actually call the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO to fight for your freedom 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. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, including but not limited to 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 impaired by some kind of intoxicating substance.
The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Ste. Genevieve County-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.
DUI Stops and Arrests in Ste. Genevieve County, MO
It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Ste. Genevieve County, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Ste. Genevieve County, MO defense law firm will protect your rights and freedoms.
Know the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.
Ste. Genevieve County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Ste. Genevieve County and Missouri.
DUI Traffic Stops in Ste. Genevieve County, MO
In order to pull someone over, a Ste. Genevieve County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.
A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to meet the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.
If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Ste. Genevieve County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving under the influence, a DUI attorney near Ste. Genevieve County, 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO
If a law officer stops you under suspicion of drunk or drugged 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 Ste. Genevieve 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)
In Ste. Genevieve County, MO stops 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 what is known as an implied consent law, via whichSte. Genevieve County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.
If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Ste. Genevieve County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Ste. Genevieve County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally and whether it should or should not be 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO and all over 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
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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO as soon as possible. If you have already completed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Ste. Genevieve 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.
Traffic Checkpoints in Ste. Genevieve County, MO
A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen 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 explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.
Police departments in Ste. Genevieve County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, speak to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.
A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is closely related to public 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
In addition, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, .
If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Ste. Genevieve County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Ste. Genevieve County, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been accused of driving under the influence in Ste. Genevieve County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Ste. Genevieve County, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, including:
Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Ste. Genevieve 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
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- 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO | Combs Waterkotte
Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Ste. Genevieve County, MO, you need to hire a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. 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 Ste. Genevieve County, MO will defend you. Contact our Ste. Genevieve County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.