DUI Attorney Near Me Rock Hill, MO

DUI attorney near me in Rock Hill, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Rock Hill, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Rock Hill and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute DUI attorney near Rock Hill, 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 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 Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill, 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 courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, you may need a DUI attorney near Rock Hill, 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 long list of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, including but not limited to driving under the influence of alcohol. Though 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 impared by psychoactive substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that a police officer can arrest you if they suspect 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 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 Rock Hill-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is accessible, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Rock Hill, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what you should do 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 outstanding Rock Hill, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Rock Hill, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Rock Hill, 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, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic 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 breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Rock Hill, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Rock Hill, MO will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Rock Hill, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by Rock Hill, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
In Rock Hill, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using blood, breath, saliva or urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via whichRock Hill, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to participate in 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 or other chemical test, 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 exemplary Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Rock Hill, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally 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 are meant to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Rock Hill, MO and throughout 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Rock Hill, MO as soon as you can. If you already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Rock Hill, MO will design 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 Rock Hill, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way 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 discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Police departments in Rock Hill and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to educate yourself on 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 roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

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

In addition, there must be a logical 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 approach a checkpoint in Rock Hill, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced Rock Hill, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review your case with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Rock Hill, MO through Combs Waterkotte. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Rock Hill or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Rock Hill, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, including:

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Rock Hill, MO can do to help you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Rock Hill, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Rock Hill, 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Rock Hill, MO will protect you. Contact our Rock Hill, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

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