DUI Attorney Near Me Maryland Heights, MO

DUI attorney near me in Maryland Heights, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Maryland Heights, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged 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 Maryland Heights and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Maryland Heights, 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 work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Maryland Heights, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after being accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Maryland Heights, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of 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. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Maryland Heights, 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 long list of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just 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 driving a vehicle while under the influence of another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by drugs or substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Maryland Heights-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Maryland Heights, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Maryland Heights, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our outstanding Maryland Heights, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Maryland Heights, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Maryland Heights, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated meet the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Maryland Heights, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, a DUI attorney near Maryland Heights, MO will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Maryland Heights, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Maryland Heights, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in Maryland Heights MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the 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 in place an implied consent law, via whichMaryland Heights, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to take the test.

If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Maryland Heights, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Maryland Heights, MO, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that attempt to gauge whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Maryland Heights, 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, contact a DUI attorney near you in Maryland Heights, MO immediately. If you have already agreed to and performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Maryland Heights, MO will build an insurmountable 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 Maryland Heights, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to randomly check drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Missouri legislators have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Maryland Heights 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 regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, speak 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
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
clearly 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 approach a checkpoint in Maryland Heights, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Maryland Heights, MO attorneys will ferociously 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.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Maryland Heights, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Maryland Heights or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Maryland Heights, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Maryland Heights, MO can defend you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Maryland Heights, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Maryland Heights, MO, you need to hire 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Maryland Heights, MO will protect you. Contact our Maryland Heights, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

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