DUI Attorney Near Me Pacific, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Pacific, MO. Being arrested for driving under the influence in Pacific, MO is a serious matter. Whatever 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 fight on your behalf and protect your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who has a track record of winning in Pacific and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a savvy DUI attorney near Pacific, 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 negotiate a lesser punishment through a plea bargain. Their principle responsibility is to navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Pacific, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Pacific, MO?

Though many people refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, Missouri law actually calls the offense a DWI (driving while intoxicated). Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define the definition of the crime of driving under the influence and lays forth the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Pacific, MO who will stand up on your behalf and protect you from unfair treatment by Missouri courts.

A person can be arrested 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 many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while impaired by some kind of intoxicating substance.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by intoxicating substances that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Pacific-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 Pacific, MO

You owe it to yourself to know your rights lest you are stopped for driving under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Pacific, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what steps to take if an officer ever stops you while you are driving in Missouri. And if you were already subjected to being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Pacific, MO defense lawyers will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Pacific, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Pacific, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, going 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 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 suspect that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your Pacific, MO DWI, reach out to 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 Pacific, MO can fight to get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move forward in your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Pacific, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of inhebriated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Pacific, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)
When police officers stop drivers in Pacific MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a Pacific, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically consent to participate in chemical sobriety tests simply by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know 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 Pacific, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Pacific, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to conclude whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully 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 designed to gauge whether you are intoxicated 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 Pacific, 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 you are stopped and asked to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Pacific, MO as soon as you can. If you have already performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Pacific, MO DUI attorney will design an insurmountable 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 Pacific, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to systematically screen drivers for driving under the influence. There are federal laws allowing but regulating the carriage of DUI checkpoints, but each state has its own rules and some prohibit the use of checkpoints. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows their use.

Checkpoints in Pacific and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but you should still educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. If you are not sure, 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 directly related to public safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

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 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 are going through a checkpoint in Pacific, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Pacific, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to discuss your case 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 Pacific, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and provide you with an infallible defense when you have been charged with driving under the influence in Pacific or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Pacific, MO attorneys have expertise in a number 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 Pacific, MO can defend you.

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

There is no time to waste. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Pacific, 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. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Pacific, MO can protect you. Contact our Pacific, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

Pacific, MO