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Orchard Farm, MO

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DUI Attorney Near Me Orchard Farm, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Orchard Farm, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Orchard Farm, MO is a serious matter. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are arrested for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Orchard Farm and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy Orchard Farm, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, 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. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your Orchard Farm, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speak to Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Orchard Farm, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri courts. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and specifies the law Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Orchard Farm, 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 number of reasons. The law outlaws 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 due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by another mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs that impair your consciousness or motor skills. 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 right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a skilled Orchard Farm-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is dedicated, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Orchard Farm, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are pulled over for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Orchard Farm, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what steps to take if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Orchard Farm, MO defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and justice.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Orchard Farm, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Orchard Farm, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For 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 driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not allowed to stop you unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are committing the crime of driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Orchard Farm, MO DWI, contact a DUI attorney near you at your earliest opportunity. If you were stopped by an officer without giving them reasonable suspicion, even if they then obtained evidence that you were driving intoxicated, a DUI attorney near Orchard Farm, MO will help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Orchard Farm, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer due to suspected intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Orchard Farm, 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 Orchard Farm MO for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to prove that the driver had ingested drugs or alcohol. There are a few different types of chemical tests using bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

    Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, via which, as a Orchard Farm, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by operating a vehicle. A smart DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

    If you do take a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Orchard Farm, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Orchard Farm, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to conclude if the breathalyzer or other test was administered legally and whether it is or is not admissible in court.

  2. Field Sobriety Tests

    Field tests are subjective tests sometimes used during a DWI stop that are designed to determine whether you are intoxicated through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has defined three standardized field tests police officers subject drivers to in Orchard Farm, 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

    It is your right in Missouri to refuse to perform a field test. If a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Orchard Farm, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Orchard Farm, MO DUI attorney will build an insurmountable 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 Orchard Farm, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for 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 entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Checkpoints in Orchard Farm and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. If you are not sure, 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. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

  • 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
  • clearly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a logical 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 Orchard Farm, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Orchard Farm, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Get the best quality criminal defense available in Orchard Farm, MO through Combs Waterkotte. 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 in Orchard Farm or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Orchard Farm, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other kinds of cases, including:

    Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI cases in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Orchard Farm, MO can do to help you.

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

    There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Orchard Farm, MO, you need to hire a trustworthy DUI attorney near you. 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 Orchard Farm, MO can defend you. Contact our Orchard Farm, MO defense law firm now to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

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