Stoddard County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Stoddard County, MO

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

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Stoddard County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a sharp DUI attorney near Stoddard 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, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Stoddard County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Stoddard County, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the law 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Stoddard County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

You could be arrested 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 drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of 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 intoxicated by drugs or substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. 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 were arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Stoddard County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

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

You owe it to yourself to 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 Stoddard County, MO DUI attorney near you and 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 being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Stoddard County, MO defense lawyers will protect your rights and freedoms.

Become familiar with the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Stoddard 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 Stoddard County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes 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 satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Stoddard 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 have proof that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Stoddard County, MO who can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Stoddard County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer 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 Stoddard 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 Stoddard County MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the 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.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Stoddard County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Stoddard County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Stoddard County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally 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 gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Stoddard 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Stoddard County, MO as soon as you can. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Stoddard County, MO will build an impenetrable 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 Stoddard County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to systematically screen drivers for 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Stoddard 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. 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 closely related to public safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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

In addition, there must be a logical reason for carrying out 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 approach a checkpoint in Stoddard County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Stoddard County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Stoddard County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Stoddard County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Stoddard County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:

• 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

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Stoddard County, MO can defend you.

• DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
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• 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 Stoddard County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Stoddard 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Stoddard County, MO will protect you. Contact our Stoddard County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.