Bonne Terre, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Bonne Terre, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Bonne Terre, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Bonne Terre, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving under the influence by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Bonne Terre and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a sharp Bonne Terre, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, reduce the charges to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Bonne Terre, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice when you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP.


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What is a DUI in Bonne Terre, MO?

Though many people 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 outline what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence 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 Bonne Terre, 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. 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 on suspicion of driving a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by drugs or substances 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 due to ingesting marijuana or even narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you or a family member have been arrested for a DWI in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is a reuptable and capable Bonne Terre-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

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DUI Stops and Arrests in Bonne Terre, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are stopped for driving under the influence. Speak to an experienced Bonne Terre, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP to understand your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Bonne Terre, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Bonne Terre, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Bonne Terre, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or stopping and going.

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 higher burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Bonne Terre, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Bonne Terre, MO who will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Bonne Terre, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Bonne Terre, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

  1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

    When police officers stop drivers in Bonne Terre MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated 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 what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Bonne Terre, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to take the test.

    If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Bonne Terre, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Bonne Terre, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Law Group will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude 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 gauge 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 police officers subject drivers to in Bonne Terre, 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, call a DUI attorney near you in Bonne Terre, MO as soon as possible. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Bonne Terre, MO DUI attorney will build an insurmountable defense to your case or ensure that evidence that does not meet Missouri’s rules of evidence such as improperly obtained sobriety tests are not used against you in Missouri court.

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Traffic Checkpoints in Bonne Terre, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway to systematically screen drivers for behaviors like 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 curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Bonne Terre and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, 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.

The police must be able to justify the use and location for a sobriety checkpoint by showing that the decisions are closely related to public safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

  • 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

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

If you are going through a checkpoint in Bonne Terre, MO, speak to a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Bonne Terre, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Bonne Terre, MO through Combs Law Group. At Combs Law Group, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Bonne Terre or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Bonne Terre, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

Click below to learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Law Group near Bonne Terre, MO can do to help you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Bonne Terre, MO | Combs Law Group

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Bonne Terre, 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you in Bonne Terre, MO can protect you. Contact our Bonne Terre, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

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