DUI Attorney Near Me Cottleville, MO

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

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Cottleville and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy DUI attorney near Cottleville, MO 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. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and the entire legal process for your Cottleville, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Cottleville, MO?

Commonly referred to 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 define the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and defines the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you may need a DUI attorney near Cottleville, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested 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 many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by psychoactive 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 or a family member have been arrested for a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Cottleville-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 Cottleville, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Cottleville, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Cottleville, MO defense lawyers will protect your rights and freedoms.

Become familiar with the rules and procedure for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Cottleville, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Cottleville, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, 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 meet the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Cottleville, 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 then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Cottleville, MO 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 Cottleville, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Cottleville, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   When police officers stop drivers in Cottleville MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, via whichCottleville, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to 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 or other chemical test, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, you cannot be physically forced to take the test.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Cottleville, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Cottleville, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine 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 during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are meant to determine whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Cottleville, 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Cottleville, MO as soon as you can. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Cottleville, MO DUI attorney will design an insurmountable 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 Cottleville, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to randomly check drivers for behaviors like 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 curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Cottleville and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. When it doubt, turn to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is closely related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• advertised to the public in advance
• organized 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

Perhaps most importantly, 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 Cottleville, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Cottleville, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Cottleville, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Cottleville or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Cottleville, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other kinds of cases, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Cottleville, MO can do to help you.

• DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
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• DWI Accident Lawyer in St. Louis
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• 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 Cottleville, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Cottleville, MO, find 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 Cottleville, MO will defend you. Contact our Cottleville, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.