DUI Attorney Near Me Richmond Heights, MO

DUI attorney near me in Richmond Heights, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Richmond Heights, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Richmond Heights and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a sharp DUI attorney near Richmond Heights, MO 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, fight the conviction in a trial or negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Richmond Heights, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Richmond Heights, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri courts actually call the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and establishes the rules for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI, 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 Richmond Heights, MO to fight for your freedom 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. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of mind-altering drug.

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 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 were arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Richmond Heights-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Richmond Heights, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are stopped for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced Richmond Heights, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for driving drunk or high, our outstanding Richmond Heights, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Richmond Heights, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Richmond Heights, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, going the wrong way down a road and other erratic behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

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

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your Richmond Heights, 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 then obtained evidence that you were driving drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Richmond Heights, MO who will fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Richmond Heights, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Richmond 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)
In Richmond Heights, MO stops for DUIs, 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 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 in place an implied consent law, via whichRichmond Heights, 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 tell you that you can refuse to submit to a chemical test like a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Richmond 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 Richmond Heights, 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.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are meant to gauge whether you are intoxicated 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 Richmond 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
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 Richmond Heights, MO as soon as possible. If you already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Richmond Heights, MO will build an insurmountable 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 Richmond Heights, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Lawmakers in Missouri have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Richmond Heights and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but you should still familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, call 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
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
visibly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, .

If you approach a checkpoint in Richmond Heights, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Richmond Heights, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your case 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 Richmond Heights, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Richmond Heights or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Richmond Heights, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other case types, including:

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Richmond Heights, MO can do to help you.

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Richmond Heights, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Richmond Heights, MO, find 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 Richmond Heights, MO will protect you. Contact our Richmond Heights, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

Richmond Heights, MO