Ripley County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Ripley County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Ripley County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Ripley County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the circumstances, when you are facing a conviction 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 knows their way around DUI cases in Ripley County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy Ripley County, MO DUI attorney near you 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Ripley County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Ripley 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 what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and lays forth the guidelines 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Ripley County, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

You could be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a number of reasons. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while impaired by another psychoactive drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by intoxicating substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you can be subject to arrest if a police officer believes 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, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Ripley County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, diligent and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Ripley County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Ripley County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take 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 Ripley County, MO defense lawyers will protect your rights and freedoms.

Learn the rules and what to expect for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Ripley County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Ripley County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not allowed to stop you unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your Ripley 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 Ripley County, MO can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Ripley County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Ripley 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 Ripley County MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests 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 check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via whichRipley County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary Ripley County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Ripley 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 during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt to determine whether you are intoxicated 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 Ripley County, 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

   As a Missouri driver, you have the right to refuse to perform a field test. If you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Ripley County, MO as soon as you can. If you have already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Ripley County, MO will design an impenetrable 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 Ripley County, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Ripley County and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, 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
• organized 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 logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in Ripley County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Ripley County, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Ripley County, MO through Combs Waterkotte. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Ripley County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Ripley County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer
• Violent Crime Lawyer

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Ripley 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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Ripley County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Ripley 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Ripley County, MO will defend you. Contact our Ripley County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.