Ballwin, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Ballwin, MO

DUI attorney near me in Ballwin, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Ballwin is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Ballwin and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy Ballwin, MO DUI attorney near you 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 the entire legal process for your Ballwin, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after 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 Ballwin, 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 and defines the guidelines for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Ballwin, 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 many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by psychoactive substances 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, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Ballwin-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Ballwin, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Ballwin, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Ballwin, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Ballwin, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Ballwin, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

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 more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Ballwin, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Ballwin, MO who will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Ballwin, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Ballwin, 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)

   When police officers stop drivers in Ballwin MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using blood, breath, saliva or urine that check for the presence and concentration of substances like alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Ballwin, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Ballwin, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Ballwin, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are designed 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 Ballwin, 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Ballwin, MO immediately. If you already completed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Ballwin, MO DUI attorney will build a 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.

Traffic Checkpoints in Ballwin, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Missouri legislators have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Ballwin and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, speak 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. DUI checkpoints should be:

• announced to the public in advance
• sanctioned or planned 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 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 Ballwin, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Ballwin, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your situation 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 Ballwin, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Ballwin or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Ballwin, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other case types, including:

• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer
• Violent Crime Lawyer
• Drug Crimes Lawyer
• Gun Crime Lawyer
• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
• Homicide Lawyer

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Ballwin, 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 Ballwin, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Ballwin, 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Ballwin, MO can defend you. Contact our Ballwin, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.