DUI Attorney Near Me

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Louis. Being arrested for driving under the influence in St. Louis is a serious matter. Whatever the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in St. Louis and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near St. Louis may be able to get the charges dropped, 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 navigate the law and the entire legal process for your St. Louis DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in St. Louis?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to as a DWI (driving while intoxicated), in Missouri civil and criminal law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and defines the rules for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders, 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 St. Louis 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. While DWI arrests are often 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 psychoactive substances 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 right away. St. Louis-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte, is responsive, diligent and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in St. Louis

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to learn about your rights and what you should 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 outstanding defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in St. Louis

In order to pull someone over, a St. Louis or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or braking.

The police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you and are required to meet the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your St. Louis DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If an officer stopped you without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near St. Louis can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in St. Louis

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

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
In St. Louis stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, 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 check for the presence and concentration of substances like alcohol.

Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via which St. Louis and other Missouri drivers automatically consent 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 submit to a breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to take the test.

If you do take a breathalyzer, speak to an experienced St. Louis DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near St. Louis, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine 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 during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that attempt to gauge whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in St. Louis 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 St. Louis DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If you already agreed to and participated in a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in St. Louis will build a 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 St. Louis

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way 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 legislators have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in St. Louis and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still familiarize yourself with 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 roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

announced 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 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, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our experienced St. Louis attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your situation with a compassionate and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in St. Louis | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near St. Louis, find a DUI attorney near you who 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 St. Louis can protect you. Contact our St. Louis defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

Learn more about the different DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in St. Louis can defend you.