DUI Attorney Near Me Kirkwood, MO

DUI attorney near me in Kirkwood, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Kirkwood is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Kirkwood and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They 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. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Kirkwood, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Kirkwood, 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 law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and establishes 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you deserve a DUI attorney near Kirkwood, 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 long list of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by some kind of psychoactive drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by intoxicating 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 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, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Kirkwood-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Kirkwood, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Kirkwood, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

Learn the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Kirkwood, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Kirkwood, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or braking.

A police officer is not permitted to conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Kirkwood, MO DWI, reach out to 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 drunk, a DUI attorney near Kirkwood, MO can help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Kirkwood, 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 under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood MO for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, via whichKirkwood, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Kirkwood, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Kirkwood, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law 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 designed to determine whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Kirkwood, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Kirkwood, MO immediately. If you already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Kirkwood, MO will design an insurmountable defense to your case or ensure that evidence that does not meet Missouri’s rules of evidence such as improperly obtained sobriety tests are not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Kirkwood, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri legislators have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Kirkwood and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. 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 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
• visibly 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 find yourself at a checkpoint in Kirkwood, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Kirkwood, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your case 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 Kirkwood, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Kirkwood or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Kirkwood, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

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

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Kirkwood, 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

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

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Kirkwood, 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 Kirkwood, MO can defend you. Contact our Kirkwood, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.