St. Charles County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Charles County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Charles County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in St. Charles County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the circumstances, when you are arrested for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve a talented defense attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in St. Charles County and Missouri. Depending on the circumstances, a sharp St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the prosecutor to drop the charges, reduce the charges 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 use the law to your benefit and guide you through the entire legal process for your St. Charles County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation when you have been arrested of driving under the influence, call Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP.


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What is a DUI in St. Charles County, MO?

Though many people refer to it 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 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, you may need a DUI attorney near St. Charles County, MO who will stand up on your behalf and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

You could be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a long list of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though many DWI arrests in Missouri are done based on drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of another intoxicating substance.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while impared by drugs 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 while intoxicated in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is a skilled St. Charles County-based DUI attorney near you. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI attorney near me St. Charles County, MO | St. Charles County, MO DUI defense attorneys near me

Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in St. Charles County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Call Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when operating a vehicle in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible St. Charles County, MO defense attorneys will protect your rights and freedoms.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in St. Charles County, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in St. Charles County, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like splitting the lane, driving 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 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 before they can arrest you for a DWI.

If you believe that you were wrongly stopped or arrested for your St. Charles County, MO DWI, contact 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 drunk, turn to a DUI attorney near you in St. Charles County, MO who can help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in St. Charles County, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected inhebriated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are intoxicated. When it comes to roadside tests used by St. Charles County, MO police officers to determine intoxication, there are two primary types they may utilize: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

  1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

    In St. Charles County, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, 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 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, pursuant to which, as a St. Charles County, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to participate in chemical sobriety tests just by getting behind the wheel. A good DUI attorney near you will tell you that you can refuse to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, 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, consult an experienced St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your St. Charles County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Law Group will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law 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 meant to gauge whether you are intoxicated 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 St. Charles County, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in St. Charles County, MO immediately. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in St. Charles County, MO will design an insurmountable 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.

DUI attorney near St. Charles County, MO | DWI lawyer near me

Traffic Checkpoints in St. Charles County, 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. Lawmakers in Missouri have entertained banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in St. Charles County and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they used to, but it is still wise to educate yourself on your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. 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 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

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a logical reason for implementing 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 St. Charles County, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined St. Charles County, MO attorneys will fearlessly defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your case with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Law Group, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the St. Charles County, MO area. At Combs Law Group, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been arrested for driving under the influence in St. Charles County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top St. Charles County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other kinds of cases, including:

Click below to learn more about the different DUI cases in Missouri and how Combs Law Group’s DUI attorneys in St. Charles County, MO can defend you.

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in St. Charles County, MO | Combs Law Group

Do not waste any time. If you have been stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near St. Charles County, MO, find 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you in St. Charles County, MO can protect you. Contact our St. Charles County, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.

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