DUI Attorney Near Me Clarkson Valley, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Clarkson Valley, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Clarkson Valley, MO is a serious matter. Whatever the 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 Clarkson Valley and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy Clarkson Valley, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, 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 the entire legal process for your Clarkson Valley, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Clarkson Valley, 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 outline the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and lays forth 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 Clarkson Valley, 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 number of reasons. The law outlaws driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for 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 another psychoactive drug.

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 you can be subject 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 driving while intoxicated in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Clarkson Valley-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Clarkson Valley, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Clarkson Valley, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to do 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 unstoppable Clarkson Valley, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Clarkson Valley, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Clarkson Valley, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and any other driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or braking.

A 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 before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were unlawfully stopped for or accused of your Clarkson Valley, 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 have proof that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Clarkson Valley, MO who can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated 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 substances like alcohol.

Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Clarkson Valley, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in 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 breathalyzer, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, the police cannot physically force you to produce a sample.

If you do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Clarkson Valley, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your DUI attorney near Clarkson Valley, MO, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was administered 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 determine 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 Clarkson Valley, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Clarkson Valley, MO immediately. If you have already completed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Clarkson Valley, MO DUI attorney 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 Clarkson Valley, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used to randomly check 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. Missouri lawmakers have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in Clarkson Valley and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still prudent to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. If you are not sure, turn 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 directly related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

announced 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

Perhaps most importantly, 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 are going through a checkpoint in Clarkson Valley, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our skilled Clarkson Valley, MO 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 kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Clarkson Valley, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Clarkson Valley or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Clarkson Valley, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

Learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in Clarkson Valley, MO can defend you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in Clarkson Valley, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Clarkson Valley, MO, find a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Clarkson Valley, MO can defend you. Contact our Clarkson Valley, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

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