Barry County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Barry County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Barry County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Barry County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are criminally charged for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Barry County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute Barry County, MO DUI attorney near you 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. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Barry County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Barry County, 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 define the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and establishes the law 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, you may need a DUI attorney near Barry County, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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, 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 operating a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by drugs that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you are liable to arrest if a police officer believes 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 Barry County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, diligent and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Barry County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Barry County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Barry County, MO defense lawyers 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 Barry 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 Barry County, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as alternating extremes 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 higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Barry County, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. 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 Barry County, MO who will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Barry County, 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 Barry 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)

   When police officers stop drivers in Barry County 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. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the 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, pursuant to which, as a Barry County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse 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 take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Barry County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Barry County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally 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 determine whether you are intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Barry 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Barry County, MO as soon as possible. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Barry County, MO will build an impenetrable 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 Barry County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way 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 explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Barry County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still familiarize yourself with 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. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• 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, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you are going through a checkpoint in Barry County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Barry County, MO attorneys will ferociously 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 Barry County, MO area. 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 Barry County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Barry County, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, including:

• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer
• Violent Crime Lawyer

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Barry 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 Barry County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Barry County, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. A Missouri DWI and similar charges are serious accusations that can carry significant consequences. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Barry County, MO will protect you. Contact our Barry County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.