DUI Attorney Near Me Eureka, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Eureka, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Eureka is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction 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 Eureka and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute Eureka, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Eureka, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Eureka, MO?

Though many people 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 and lays forth the law for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI, 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 deserve a DUI attorney near Eureka, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A police officer may arrest someone for a DWI in Missouri for a long list of reasons. The law outlaws 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 impaired by another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared 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 a DWI in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Eureka-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Eureka, 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 Eureka, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what you should 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 outstanding Eureka, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

Learn the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Eureka, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Eureka, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

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 believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Eureka, 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, a DUI attorney near Eureka, MO will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Eureka, 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 Eureka, 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 Eureka MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests 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 check for the presence and concentration of substances like 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 Eureka, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit 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 produce a sample.

If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Eureka, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Eureka, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Eureka, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Eureka, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Eureka, MO DUI attorney will design an unwavering 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 Eureka, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to randomly check drivers for 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 debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Police departments in Eureka and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but you should still familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, speak 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 roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

announced 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

In addition, there must be a legitimate 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 Eureka, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Eureka, 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 compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Eureka, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Eureka or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Eureka, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other kinds of cases, including:

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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Eureka, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Eureka, MO, you need to hire a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. 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 Eureka, MO can protect you. Contact our Eureka, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

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