DUI Attorney Near Me Callaway County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Callaway County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Callaway County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the situation, when you are arrested for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, 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 Callaway County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy DUI attorney near Callaway County, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Callaway County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Callaway 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 outline the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the law Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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 may need a DUI attorney near Callaway County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can 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 due to allegedly driving a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by intoxicating substances or 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 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 Callaway County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, experienced and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Callaway County, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Callaway County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Callaway County, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Callaway County, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Callaway County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to 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 or arrested for your Callaway County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. 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 Callaway County, MO can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Callaway County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Callaway 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 Callaway County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence 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 check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, via whichCallaway County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you 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, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Callaway County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Callaway 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 as according to law 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 through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Callaway County, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Callaway County, MO immediately. If you have already agreed to and performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Callaway County, MO DUI attorney will design an impenetrable 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 Callaway County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway 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. Missouri lawmakers have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Police departments in Callaway County 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. If you are not sure, 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 closely 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
• clearly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you are going through a checkpoint in Callaway County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Callaway County, 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.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Callaway County, 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 of alcohol or drugs in Callaway County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Callaway County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Callaway County, 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

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

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Callaway County, MO, find 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 Callaway County, MO can defend you. Contact our Callaway County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.