DUI Attorney Near Me De Soto, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me De Soto, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in De Soto is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the situation, when you are arrested 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 knows their way around DUI cases in De Soto and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near De Soto, MO may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction 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 De Soto, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in De Soto, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the official nomenclature used in Missouri courts is a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 outline the definition of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and specifies the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish 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 deserve a DUI attorney near De Soto, MO who will stand up on your behalf and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

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. While 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 psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by psychoactive 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 or a family member have been 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 skilled De Soto-based DUI attorney near you. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in De Soto, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Reach out to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading De Soto, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to do if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable De Soto, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

Find out about the rules and procedure for regular traffic stops, sobriety tests and sobriety checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in De Soto, MO

In order to pull someone over, a De Soto, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

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 in order to actually place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your De Soto, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. 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 De Soto, MO who can 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 De Soto, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected inhebriated 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 De Soto, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in De Soto MO for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests 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 substances like alcohol.

Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichDe Soto, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer, but you can face legal consequences for the act of refusing the test. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an exemplary De Soto, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your De Soto, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered as according to law and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that attempt to gauge whether you are impaired by asking the driver to perform motor tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO as soon as possible. If you have already agreed to and participated in a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your De Soto, MO DUI attorney will design a 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 De Soto, 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 legislators have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in De Soto and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, 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.

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:

advertised 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
visibly associated with law enforcement

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

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in De Soto, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined De Soto, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your situation 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 De Soto, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in De Soto or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top De Soto, MO defense lawyers can help you with a variety of other case types, including:

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and how Combs Waterkotte’s DUI attorneys in De Soto, MO can defend you.

Hire a DUI Attorney Near Me in De Soto, MO | Combs Waterkotte

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO will protect you. Contact our De Soto, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

De Soto, MO