DUI attorney near me in Pettis County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Pettis County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.
You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Pettis County and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near Pettis County, MO will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, 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 use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Pettis County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being accused 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
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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 …
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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.
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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 …
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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 …
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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 Pettis County, MO?
Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri courts is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and defines the guidelines 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. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you deserve a DUI attorney near Pettis County, MO who will stand up on your behalf 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, including but not limited to 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 impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.
The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by intoxicating 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even 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 Pettis County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.
DUI Stops and Arrests in Pettis County, MO
You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Pettis County, 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 were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for driving drunk or high, our incredible Pettis County, MO defense lawyers will protect your rights and freedoms.
Learn the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.
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DUI Traffic Stops in Pettis 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 Pettis County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road 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 in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.
If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Pettis County, MO DWI, reach out to 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 drunk, a DUI attorney near Pettis County, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.
Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Pettis County, 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 under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Pettis 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 Pettis 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. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.
Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Pettis County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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 Pettis County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Pettis County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
- Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to determine whether you are impaired 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 Pettis County, MO and all over 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 a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Pettis County, MO as soon as you can. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Pettis County, MO DUI attorney will build an impenetrable defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.
Pettis County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Pettis County and Missouri.
Traffic Checkpoints in Pettis County, MO
A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to systematically screen 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.
Checkpoints in Pettis County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, turn to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.
A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is directly 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
- visibly associated with law enforcement
In addition, there must be a legitimate reason for implementing 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 are going through a checkpoint in Pettis County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Pettis County, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.
Get the best quality criminal defense available in Pettis County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been charged with driving under the influence in Pettis County or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Pettis County, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other case types, including:
Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Pettis County, MO can defend you.
- DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
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- Second Offense DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
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- Other Criminal Defense Cases
Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Pettis County, MO | Combs Waterkotte
There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Pettis County, 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 Pettis County, MO will defend you. Contact our Pettis County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.
