DUI Attorney Near Me Ladue, MO

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

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Ladue and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, an astute Ladue, 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 negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Ladue, 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 Ladue, MO?

Though many people 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 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and lays forth the guidelines 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, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Ladue, 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 variety of reasons. Under Missouri law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that covers more than just driving under the influence of alcohol. While DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly driving a vehicle while impaired by another intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by psychoactive substances or 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 being high as a result of marijuana or THC use or under the influence of narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you or a family member have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Ladue-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Ladue, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Ladue, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what you should do if an officer ever stops you while you are operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Ladue, MO defense attorneys will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Ladue, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Ladue, 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 drifting out of lane, driving on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic 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 more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Ladue, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving under the influence, a DUI attorney near Ladue, MO will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Ladue, 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 Ladue, 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 Ladue, MO stops for drunk driving or driving under the influence, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that check for the presence and concentration of various substances including alcohol.

Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Ladue, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer, 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 experienced Ladue, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Ladue, 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 performed as according to law 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 specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Ladue, 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
It is your right in Missouri 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 Ladue, MO as soon as you can. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Ladue, MO DUI attorney will build an unwavering 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.

Traffic Checkpoints in Ladue, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to randomly check drivers for behaviors like driving under the influence. There are federal laws that regulate the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Ladue and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still wise to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, turn to 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:

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
visibly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a legitimate reason for carrying out the checkpoint related to public safety, usually because the area has an abnormally high rate of drunk driving accidents.

If you find yourself at a checkpoint in Ladue, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Ladue, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review 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 Ladue, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Ladue or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Ladue, MO attorneys have expertise in a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Ladue, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do yourself a favor and act now. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Ladue, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Ladue, MO can defend you. Contact our Ladue, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

Ladue, MO