DUI attorney near me in Clay County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Clay County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the circumstances, when you are arrested for driving under the influence 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 knows their way around DUI cases in Clay County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute Clay County, 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Clay County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being accused of driving under the influence, 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
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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.
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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 …
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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 …
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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 Clay County, MO?
Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri courts actually call the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies 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, you may need a DUI attorney near Clay County, 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, including but not limited to 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 operating a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.
The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.
If you or a family member have been arrested for a DWI in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Clay County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, diligent and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.
Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Clay County, MO
It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Clay County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Clay County, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.
Learn the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.
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DUI Traffic Stops in Clay County, MO
In order to pull someone over, a Clay County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things 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 more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.
If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Clay County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Clay County, MO who 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 Clay County, MO
If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Clay County, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.
- Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
In Clay County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.
Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Clay County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to take the test.
If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Clay County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Clay County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.
- Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt 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 Clay County, MO and throughout 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
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 Clay County, MO immediately. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Clay County, MO DUI attorney will design an insurmountable defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.
Clay County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Clay County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Clay County, MO
A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.
Police departments in Clay County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but you should still familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, turn to 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. 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 logical reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.
If you approach a checkpoint in Clay County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Clay County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.
Get the best quality criminal defense available in Clay County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Clay County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Clay County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:
- Weapon Crime Defense Lawyer
- DWI Lawyer With Payment Plans
- Criminal Defense Lawyer with Payment Plans
Learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Clay 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 Clay County, MO | Combs Waterkotte
Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Clay County, MO, find a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. A Missouri DWI and similar charges are serious accusations that can carry significant consequences. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Clay County, MO will protect you. Contact our Clay County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.
