DUI attorney near me in Kennett, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Kennett, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your 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 a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Kennett and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy DUI attorney near Kennett, 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Kennett, 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.
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What is a DUI in Kennett, 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 civil and criminal law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you deserve a DUI attorney near Kennett, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.
You could be arrested 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. 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 another mind-altering drug.
The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by psychoactive 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 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 Kennett-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and skilled. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.
DUI Stops and Arrests in Kennett, MO
You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Kennett, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what steps to take if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Kennett, 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 Kennett, MO
In order to pull someone over, a Kennett, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.
A police officer is not allowed to stop you unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.
If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Kennett, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Kennett, MO can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Kennett, MO
If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Kennett, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.
- Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in Kennett MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests 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.
Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Kennett, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.
If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Kennett, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Kennett, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.
- 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in Kennett, MO and throughout 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
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 Kennett, MO as soon as you can. If you already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Kennett, MO DUI attorney 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.
Dunklin County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Dunklin County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Kennett, MO
A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.
Checkpoints in Kennett and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent 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.
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. 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
- clearly associated with law enforcement
In addition, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.
If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Kennett, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Kennett, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to 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 Kennett, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Kennett or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Kennett, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, including:
Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Kennett, 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 Kennett, MO | Combs Waterkotte
There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Kennett, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Kennett, MO will protect you. Contact our Kennett, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

