DUI Attorney Near Me New Melle, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me New Melle, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in New Melle is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in New Melle and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near New Melle, MO 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, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your New Melle, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in New Melle, MO?

Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and defines the rules 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near New Melle, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a variety 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 another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs or substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that you are liable 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 a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable New Melle-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 New Melle, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced New Melle, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what you should do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our unstoppable New Melle, MO defense lawyers will protect your rights and freedoms.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in New Melle, 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 Melle, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, going the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

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 meet the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your New Melle, 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, turn to a DUI attorney near you in New Melle, MO who can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in New Melle, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests New Melle, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in New Melle MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver was intoxicated 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 substances like alcohol.

Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via whichNew Melle, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse 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 already did a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary New Melle, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your New Melle, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests 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 that police officers can use to test drivers in New Melle, 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 New Melle, MO as soon as possible. If you already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in New Melle, MO will design 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 New Melle, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used 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 lawmakers have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in New Melle 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 checkpoints must follow. 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. DUI checkpoints should be:

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 implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you are going through a checkpoint in New Melle, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled New Melle, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss 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 New Melle, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in New Melle or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top New Melle, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other case types, including:

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near New Melle, MO can do to help you.

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

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near New Melle, MO, find a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. 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 Melle, MO can protect you. Contact our New Melle, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

New Melle, MO