DUI attorney near me in Lebanon, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Lebanon is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the circumstances, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.
You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Lebanon and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy Lebanon, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Lebanon, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested 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
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 …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
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 …
What to Do If You Are Pulled Over for DWI in Missouri
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 Lebanon, MO?
Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri legislation is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and defines the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders 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 may need a DUI attorney near Lebanon, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.
You could be arrested 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. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of intoxicating substance.
The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also 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 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 under the influence in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Lebanon-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 Lebanon, MO
You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Lebanon, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Lebanon, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.
Become familiar with the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.
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DUI Traffic Stops in Lebanon, MO
A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Lebanon, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, 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 meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.
If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Lebanon, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Lebanon, MO who will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Lebanon, MO
If a law officer stops you due to suspected inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Lebanon, 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 Lebanon, MO stops for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that check for the presence and concentration of substances like alcohol.
Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Lebanon, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, 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 already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Lebanon, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Lebanon, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally 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 meant to gauge 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 Lebanon, 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
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 Lebanon, MO as soon as possible. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Lebanon, MO DUI attorney will build a 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.
Laclede County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Laclede County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Lebanon, MO
A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to systematically screen 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.
Police departments in Lebanon and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, 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 directly related to public safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:
- 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
- visibly associated with law enforcement
Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical reason for implementing 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 Lebanon, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined Lebanon, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review 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 Lebanon, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence in Lebanon or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Lebanon, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:
Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Lebanon, 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
Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Lebanon, MO | Combs Waterkotte
Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Lebanon, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. Being arrested and convicted of a DWI or similar charge in Missouri is a serious matter that can carry significant consequences. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Lebanon, MO will defend you. Contact our Lebanon, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.
