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DUI Attorney Near Me Warrenton, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on July 18, 2022

DUI attorney near me in Warrenton, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Warrenton, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust 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 Warrenton and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near Warrenton, MO 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 Warrenton, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

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What is a DUI in Warrenton, MO?

Commonly referred to 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 what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and lays forth the guidelines for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Warrenton, 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 number of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared 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 being high as a result of marijuana or THC use or under the influence of narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Warrenton-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, diligent 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 Warrenton, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Warrenton, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Warrenton, MO defense law firm will protect your rights and freedoms.

Know the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Warrenton, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Warrenton, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and any other behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not able to lawfully stop you unless there is 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 feel that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Warrenton, 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 drunk, a DUI attorney near Warrenton, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Warrenton, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Warrenton, 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 Warrenton, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver was intoxicated 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 are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

    Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichWarrenton, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating 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 refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

    If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Warrenton, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Warrenton, 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 performed lawfully and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.

  2. Field Sobriety Tests

    Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt to gauge 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 Warrenton, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Warrenton, MO as soon as possible. If you already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Warrenton, 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 Warrenton, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check drivers for behaviors like 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Warrenton and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with 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 directly related to public 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 logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in Warrenton, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Warrenton, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Warrenton, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Warrenton or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Warrenton, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Warrenton, MO can defend you.

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Warrenton, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Warrenton, 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 Warrenton, MO can defend you. Contact our Warrenton, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

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