Valley Park, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Valley Park, MO

DUI attorney near me in Valley Park, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Valley Park, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the circumstances, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Valley Park and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy Valley Park, MO DUI attorney near you will make the best of your situation. They may be able to get the charges dropped, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Valley Park, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Valley Park, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri civil and criminal law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and defines the guidelines for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders, 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, you may need a DUI attorney near Valley Park, MO to fight for your freedom and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A police officer may arrest someone 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 on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by psychoactive substances or 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 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, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Valley Park-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Valley Park, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced Valley Park, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what steps to take 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 intoxicated driving, our incredible Valley Park, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Valley Park, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Valley Park, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, driving the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes 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 meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Valley Park, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Valley Park, MO can help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Valley Park, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Valley Park, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   When police officers stop drivers in Valley Park MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and 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 Valley Park, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Valley Park, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Valley Park, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was performed 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 impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Valley Park, 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 Valley Park, MO as soon as possible. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Valley Park, MO will design an insurmountable 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 Valley Park, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Valley Park and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to familiarize yourself with 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 directly related to roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• advertised 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 legitimate reason for carrying out 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 Valley Park, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our skilled Valley Park, MO attorneys will tenaciously 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 Valley Park, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Valley Park or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Valley Park, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, including:

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Valley Park, 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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Valley Park, MO | Combs Waterkotte

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