DUI Attorney Near Me Washington County, MO

DUI attorney near me in Washington County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Washington County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has successfully defended against DUI convictions in Washington County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a sharp DUI attorney near Washington County, MO 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Washington County, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Washington County, MO?

Though many people 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 define the definition of the crime of driving under the influence 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Washington County, 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. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for 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 under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by drugs 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 or a family member have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Washington County-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 Washington County, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Washington County, MO defense law firm will protect your rights and freedoms.

Learn the rules and procedure for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Washington 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 Washington County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

A police officer is not able to lawfully conduct a traffic stop unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped for or accused of your Washington County, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, a DUI attorney near Washington County, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Washington County, 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 under the influence. There are two types of tests Washington County, 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)

   In Washington County, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence 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 substances like alcohol.

   Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichWashington County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically consent to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A smart 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. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Washington County, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 are meant to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Washington County, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Washington County, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Washington County, MO DUI attorney will design a defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Washington County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to systematically screen 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. Missouri lawmakers have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Checkpoints in Washington 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. When it doubt, call a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

A lawful sobriety checkpoint is justified when the police can show it is closely related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

• 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 logical reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you are going through a checkpoint in Washington County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Washington County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Washington County, MO area. 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 Washington County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Washington County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Washington County, MO, you need to hire 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 Washington County, MO will protect you. Contact our Washington County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.