DUI attorney near me in Moniteau County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Moniteau County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.
You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Moniteau County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy DUI attorney near Moniteau County, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction 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 Moniteau County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.
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What is a DUI in Moniteau County, MO?
Commonly referred to 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 the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the rules 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Moniteau County, 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. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by another mind-altering drug.
The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that you can be subject to arrest if a police officer believes 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Moniteau County-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.
DUI Stops and Arrests in Moniteau County, MO
It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Moniteau County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to 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 incredible Moniteau County, MO defense attorneys 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 Moniteau County, MO
In order to pull someone over, a Moniteau County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like splitting the lane, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic 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 higher burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.
If you suspect that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Moniteau County, 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 have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Moniteau County, MO who can fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Moniteau County, MO
If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Moniteau County, 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 Moniteau County MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, 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 are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.
Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Moniteau County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you 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, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.
If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Moniteau 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 Moniteau County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed lawfully and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
- Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in Moniteau County, 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
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 Moniteau County, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Moniteau County, MO will build an unwavering 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.
Moniteau County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Moniteau County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Moniteau County, MO
A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to randomly check drivers for 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. Missouri legislators have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.
Checkpoints in Moniteau County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still familiarize yourself with 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
Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out 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 approach a checkpoint in Moniteau County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Moniteau County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact 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 Moniteau County, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Moniteau County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Moniteau County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:
Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Moniteau County, 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 Moniteau County, MO | Combs Waterkotte
Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Moniteau County, MO, find 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Moniteau County, MO can protect you. Contact our Moniteau County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

