DUI Attorney Near Me Lawrence County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Lawrence County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Lawrence County, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are arrested for driving while intoxicated 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 Lawrence County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney near you 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. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Lawrence County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Lawrence County, MO?

Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes 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 Lawrence 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. 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 impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by psychoactive substances 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Lawrence County-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

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

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Lawrence County, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Lawrence County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Lawrence County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, driving the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

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 more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Lawrence 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 have proof that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Lawrence 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)

   In Lawrence County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Lawrence County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply 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. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Lawrence County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 meant to determine whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Lawrence County, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Lawrence County, MO immediately. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Lawrence County, MO DUI attorney will build 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 Lawrence County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check 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. Missouri lawmakers have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Lawrence County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. 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 roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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, .

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Lawrence County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Lawrence County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your situation with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Lawrence County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence in Lawrence County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Lawrence County, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other case types, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Lawrence County, MO, you need to hire 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Lawrence County, MO can defend you. Contact our Lawrence County, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.