DUI Attorney Near Me Portage Des Sioux, MO

DUI attorney near me in Portage Des Sioux, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Portage Des Sioux 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, 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 a track record of winning in Portage Des Sioux and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Portage Des Sioux, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri legislation is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and establishes the guidelines for sentencing and punishments for 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 may need a DUI attorney near Portage Des Sioux, MO to fight for your freedom 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. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by some kind of intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits 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 or a family member have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Portage Des Sioux-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Portage Des Sioux, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our unstoppable Portage Des Sioux, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

Become familiar with the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Portage Des Sioux, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Portage Des Sioux, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not able to lawfully conduct a traffic stop unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Portage Des Sioux, MO DWI, reach out to 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, a DUI attorney near Portage Des Sioux, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Portage Des Sioux, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Portage Des Sioux, 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 Portage Des Sioux 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 blood, breath, saliva or 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Portage Des Sioux, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully 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 designed to determine whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Portage Des Sioux, 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

   As a Missouri driver, you have the right 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO as soon as you can. If you already completed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Portage Des Sioux, MO DUI attorney will build an unwavering 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri lawmakers have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Portage Des Sioux 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 checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, turn to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly related to roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you approach a checkpoint in Portage Des Sioux, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Portage Des Sioux, MO attorneys will ferociously 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte 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 in Portage Des Sioux or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Portage Des Sioux, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Portage Des Sioux, MO can defend 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Portage Des Sioux, 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 Portage Des Sioux, MO will defend you. Contact our Portage Des Sioux, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.