DUI Attorney Near Me Boonville, MO

DUI attorney near me in Boonville, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Boonville, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Boonville and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a sharp DUI attorney near Boonville, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Boonville, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Boonville, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and specifies the rules 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 deserve a DUI attorney near Boonville, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

You could be arrested 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. 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 DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared 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 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, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Boonville-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Boonville, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Boonville, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take 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 driving drunk or high, our incredible Boonville, MO defense law firm will protect your rights and freedoms.

Find out about the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Boonville, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Boonville, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, driving the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not allowed to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Boonville, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Boonville, 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 Boonville, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Boonville, 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 Boonville, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or 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 which, as a Boonville, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply 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 produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Boonville, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Boonville, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed lawfully 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 gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Boonville, 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Boonville, MO immediately. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Boonville, MO DUI attorney 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 Boonville, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Boonville and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent 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 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
• visibly 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 are going through a checkpoint in Boonville, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Boonville, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your situation 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 Boonville, 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 Boonville or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Boonville, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Boonville, 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

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Boonville, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Boonville, MO, you need to hire a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. 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 Boonville, MO can defend you. Contact our Boonville, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.