Gentry County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Gentry County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Gentry County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Gentry County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Gentry County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a sharp Gentry 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. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Gentry County, 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 Gentry County, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri courts is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and lays forth the law 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Gentry County, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a number of reasons. The law outlaws 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 on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by another intoxicating substance.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Gentry County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced 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 Gentry County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced Gentry County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our unstoppable Gentry County, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Gentry County, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Gentry County, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, driving the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

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 before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Gentry County, MO DWI, contact 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, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Gentry County, 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 Gentry County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Gentry County, 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)

   In Gentry County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to 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 whichGentry County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. 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. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Gentry County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Gentry County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 designed to determine whether you are intoxicated by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Gentry County, MO and throughout 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Gentry County, MO as soon as possible. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Gentry County, MO DUI attorney will build 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 Gentry County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check 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. Missouri legislators have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Gentry County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, speak to 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 closely related to public 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
• 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 Gentry County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Gentry County, MO attorneys will tenaciously 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 Gentry County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte 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 of alcohol or drugs in Gentry County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Gentry County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:

• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer
• Violent Crime Lawyer

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Gentry County, 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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• DWI with Drugs Lawyer in St. Louis
• Felony DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
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• Other Criminal Defense Cases

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

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Gentry County, MO, you need to hire 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 Gentry County, MO will protect you. Contact our Gentry County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.