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DUI Attorney Near Me Kansas City, MO

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Last Updated: September 27, 2024

DUI attorney near me in Kansas City, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Kansas City, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Kansas City and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute Kansas City, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, have the charges reduced 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 the entire legal process for your Kansas City, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.


DWI Stop Advice - Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
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DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready

DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …

(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video - Bonus Footage
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(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage

Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …

Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
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Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)

Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …

What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?
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What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?

What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.

Long Term Consequences of a DWI
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Long Term Consequences of a DWI

What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …

What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
Play video

What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri

What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …

What should you look for when hiring a DWI attorney?
Play video

What should you look for when hiring a DWI attorney?

A drunk driving charge (DWI/DUI) doesn't have to wreck your bank account or cost you your driving license. Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss what you should look …

What is an ignition interlock device and when is it required?
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What is an ignition interlock device and when is it required?

What is the purpose of the ignition interlock device, and when are you required to install one on your vehicle? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss what an ignition …

DWI Stop Advice - Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
Play video

DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready

DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …

(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video - Bonus Footage
Play video

(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage

Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …

Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
Play video

Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)

Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …

What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?
Play video

What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?

What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.

Long Term Consequences of a DWI
Play video

Long Term Consequences of a DWI

What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …

What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
Play video

What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri

What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …

What should you look for when hiring a DWI attorney?
Play video

What should you look for when hiring a DWI attorney?

A drunk driving charge (DWI/DUI) doesn't have to wreck your bank account or cost you your driving license. Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss what you should look …

What is an ignition interlock device and when is it required?
Play video

What is an ignition interlock device and when is it required?

What is the purpose of the ignition interlock device, and when are you required to install one on your vehicle? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss what an ignition …


What is a DUI in Kansas City, 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 law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and specifies the law Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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 Kansas City, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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 under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs 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 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, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Kansas City-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Kansas City, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Kansas City, 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 intoxicated driving, our incredible Kansas City, 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.

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DUI Traffic Stops in Kansas City, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Kansas City, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

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

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Kansas City, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Kansas City, MO who can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Kansas City, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Kansas City, 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 Kansas City MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of substances like alcohol.

    Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Kansas City, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to take the test.

    If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Kansas City, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Kansas City, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if 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 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 Kansas City, 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Kansas City, MO immediately. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Kansas City, MO will build an impenetrable 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 Kansas City, MO

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

Police departments in Kansas City 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 regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, speak to 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 directly related to roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

  • announced 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

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 are going through a checkpoint in Kansas City, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Kansas City, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your case with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Kansas City, MO through Combs Waterkotte. 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 Kansas City or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Kansas City, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Kansas City, MO can do to help you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Kansas City, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Kansas City, MO, find a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Kansas City, MO will defend you. Contact our Kansas City, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

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