DUI Attorney Near Me St. Charles County, MO

DUI attorney near me in St. Charles County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in St. Charles County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the circumstances, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in St. Charles County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a sharp DUI attorney near St. Charles County, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your St. Charles County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in St. Charles County, 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 what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and defines the rules 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 St. Charles County, MO to fight for your freedom 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 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. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by another mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by intoxicating substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled St. Charles 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 St. Charles County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced St. Charles County, 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 operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding St. Charles County, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

Find out about the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in St. Charles County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a St. Charles County, 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, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, 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 satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your St. Charles County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in St. Charles County, MO who can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in St. Charles County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests St. Charles 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 St. Charles County, MO stops for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to prove 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 what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichSt. Charles County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A smart 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. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine 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 during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in St. Charles County, 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

   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, contact a DUI attorney near you in St. Charles County, MO as soon as possible. If you already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in St. Charles County, MO will build a defense to your case or ensure that evidence that does not meet Missouri’s rules of evidence such as improperly obtained sobriety tests are not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in St. Charles County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to systematically screen drivers for 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 debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in St. Charles County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, 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 closely 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 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 are going through a checkpoint in St. Charles County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined St. Charles County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in St. Charles County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence in St. Charles County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top St. Charles County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

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

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in St. Charles County, 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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in St. Charles County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

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