DUI attorney near me in Benton, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Benton, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, 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 Benton and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a sharp DUI attorney near Benton, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Benton, 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.
Legal Videos
DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage
Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …
Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?
What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.
Long Term Consequences of a DWI
What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …
DWI Stop Advice – Always Have Your Paperwork Ready
DWI/DUI Stop Advice and Tips. Attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
(Making Of) DWI Behind the Scenes Video – Bonus Footage
Before we could shoot our behind-the-scenes video, there was… this. A quick glimpse at the setup, the laughs, and everything that didn’t quite make the final cut. While this is a fun video …
Behind the Scenes of a DWI/DUI Traffic Stop (Step-by-Step Walkthrough)
Missouri criminal defense and DWI attorneys Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte provide a real-time walkthrough of the proper actions to take—and crucial mistakes to avoid—during a DWI/DUI …
What Is the Process of Going to Court for a DWI?
What happens when you go to court for a DWI or DUI charge? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte outline what to expect when going to court for a DWI or DUI.
Long Term Consequences of a DWI
What are the long-term consequences of a DWI? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss the potential long-term consequences of a DWI or DUI conviction on your …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
What actions should you take if you are pulled over for suspicion of a DWI in Missouri? Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte of Combs Waterkotte discuss how to handle the difficult situation of …
What is a DUI in Benton, MO?
Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated 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 Benton, 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. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, 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 intoxicated by intoxicating 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.
If you or a family member have been arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Benton-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.
DUI Stops and Arrests in Benton, MO
It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Benton, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do 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 incredible Benton, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.
Learn the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.
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DUI Traffic Stops in Benton, MO
In order to pull someone over, a Benton, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving 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 suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Benton, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Benton, MO who can help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Benton, MO
If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Benton, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.
- Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in Benton MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using 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 in place an implied consent law, pursuant to whichBenton, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just 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 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, consult an exemplary Benton, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Benton, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
- Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are meant to gauge whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Benton, MO and all over the United States.
- Walk and turn – walk heel to toe in a straight line for nine steps, turn around and repeat in the opposite direction
- 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
- 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 Benton, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Benton, MO will build an unwavering 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.
Scott County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Scott County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Benton, MO
A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.
Police departments in Benton and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, call a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.
A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:
- advertised 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 logical reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, .
If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Benton, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Benton, MO attorneys will ferociously 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.
Get the best quality criminal defense available in Benton, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been charged with driving under the influence in Benton or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Benton, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:
Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Benton, MO can do to help you.
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Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Benton, MO | Combs Waterkotte
Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Benton, 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 Benton, MO can defend you. Contact our Benton, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.
