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DUI Attorney Near Me New Madrid County, MO

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Last Updated: September 27, 2024

DUI attorney near me in New Madrid County, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in New Madrid County, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the situation, when you are arrested for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in New Madrid County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, a savvy New Madrid County, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges 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 the entire legal process for your New Madrid County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

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What is a DUI in New Madrid County, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri courts actually call the offense 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 rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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 New Madrid County, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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, including but not limited to driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of another mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs or substances 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 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 reuptable and capable New Madrid County-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in New Madrid County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Speak to an experienced New Madrid County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible New Madrid County, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

Become familiar with the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in New Madrid 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 New Madrid County, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not allowed to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your New Madrid 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 intoxicated, a DUI attorney near New Madrid County, MO can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in New Madrid County, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by New Madrid 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)

    When police officers stop drivers in New Madrid County MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. There are a few different types of chemical tests using blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.

    Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a New Madrid County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree 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 submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

    If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary New Madrid County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your New Madrid County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered 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 intoxicated 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 New Madrid County, 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

    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 New Madrid County, MO as soon as possible. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in New Madrid County, MO will design 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.

Traffic Checkpoints in New Madrid 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 entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Checkpoints in New Madrid County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, 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:

  • advertised 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
  • clearly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in New Madrid County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined New Madrid County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss 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 New Madrid County, 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 New Madrid County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top New Madrid County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other kinds of cases, including:

Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in New Madrid County, MO can defend you.

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

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near New Madrid 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in New Madrid County, MO will protect you. Contact our New Madrid County, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

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