Wentzville, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Wentzville, MO

DUI attorney near me in Wentzville, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Wentzville is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the situation, when you are criminally charged for driving while intoxicated 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 Wentzville and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a savvy DUI attorney near Wentzville, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Wentzville, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Wentzville, MO?

Though people often refer to it 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 defines the law 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Wentzville, 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 prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by drugs that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you are liable 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 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 reuptable and capable Wentzville-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Wentzville, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving intoxicated. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Wentzville, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Wentzville, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Wentzville, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Wentzville, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, driving the wrong way down a road and other erratic 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 satisfy the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Wentzville, 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 intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Wentzville, MO who can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Wentzville, MO

If a law officer stops you 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 Wentzville, 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 Wentzville MO for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. 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.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Wentzville, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you 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 do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Wentzville, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Wentzville, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally 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 Wentzville, 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

   As a Missouri driver, you have the right 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 Wentzville, MO immediately. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Wentzville, MO will design an unwavering 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 Wentzville, 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 lawmakers have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Wentzville and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still prudent to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. 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 closely related to roadway 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
• clearly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Wentzville, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Wentzville, MO attorneys will fearlessly 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 Wentzville, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been charged with driving under the influence in Wentzville or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Wentzville, MO attorneys have expertise in a variety of other kinds of cases, including:

• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney
• DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Click below to learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Wentzville, 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Wentzville, MO can defend you. Contact our Wentzville, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.