St. Clair, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Clair, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me St. Clair, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in St. Clair is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Whatever the circumstances, 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 St. Clair and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, an astute St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, fight the conviction in a trial or work with the prosecutor to negotiate 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. Clair, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after you have been accused of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP.


About Us Victories Client Testimonials

What is a DUI in St. Clair, 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 specifies the guidelines Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish DWI offenders, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near St. Clair, MO to fight for your freedom 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. 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 on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of another psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated 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 were arrested for a DWI in Missouri, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is a reuptable and capable St. Clair-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is dedicated, diligent and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI attorney near me St. Clair, MO | St. Clair, MO DUI defense attorneys near me

DUI Stops and Arrests in St. Clair, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Call Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you and learn about your rights and what you should 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 unstoppable St. Clair, MO defense law firm will fight for your freedom and justice.

Become familiar with the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in St. Clair, 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. Clair, MO. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be things like drifting out of lane, traveling on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic driving behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not permitted to stop you unless there is reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated meet the more stringent burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you feel that you were wrongly stopped for or accused of your St. Clair, 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, turn to a DUI attorney near you in St. Clair, MO who will 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 St. Clair, 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. When it comes to roadside tests used by St. Clair, 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)

    When police officers stop drivers in St. Clair MO for drunk driving or driving under the influence, chemical tests are often used as evidence to prove 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 various substances including alcohol.

    Like most US states, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law, via which, as a St. Clair, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by driving a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit 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, speak to an exemplary St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your St. Clair, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Law Group will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was administered lawfully and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.

  2. Field Sobriety Tests

    Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests 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. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO as soon as you can. If you have already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your St. Clair, MO DUI attorney will build an unwavering defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.

DUI attorney near St. Clair, MO | DWI lawyer near me

Traffic Checkpoints in St. Clair, 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. Missouri legislators have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Police departments in St. Clair and around Missouri do not use checkpoints as heavily as they did in the past, but it is still wise to 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 directly related to roadway safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

  • 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
  • visibly associated with law enforcement

Perhaps most importantly, there must be a legitimate reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you are going through a checkpoint in St. Clair, MO, speak to a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our determined St. Clair, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to discuss your case with a compassionate 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. Clair, MO area. A Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in St. Clair or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of St. Clair, MO attorneys have expertise in 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. Clair, MO can defend you.

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

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near St. Clair, MO, you need to hire 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. Your future and freedom are on the line, and a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you in St. Clair, MO will defend you. Contact our St. Clair, MO defense law firm now to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

Local DUI Attorney Near Me

Free Case Review

Send us your information and we will be in touch.