New Melle, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me New Melle, MO

DUI attorney near me in New Melle, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in New Melle, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in New Melle and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a sharp New Melle, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and the entire legal process for your New Melle, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being arrested of driving under the influence, call 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 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and establishes the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near New Melle, 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. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. While many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by another mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by intoxicating substances or substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that a police officer can arrest you if they suspect that you are impaired, including due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled New Melle-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in New Melle, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced New Melle, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what you should do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible New Melle, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

Become familiar with the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and 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 represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies 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 satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you feel that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your New Melle, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in New Melle, MO who will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in New Melle, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by New Melle, 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 Melle MO for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. 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 what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a New Melle, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

   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 obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that attempt to determine whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in New Melle, 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in New Melle, MO as soon as you can. If you have already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in New Melle, MO will build an impenetrable 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 roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri legislators have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in New Melle and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. 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. DUI checkpoints should be:

• 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 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 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 review your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in New Melle, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in New Melle or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of New Melle, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other kinds of cases, including:

Learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near New Melle, MO can do to help 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 New Melle, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in New Melle, MO can protect you. Contact our New Melle, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.