DUI Attorney Near Me Washington County, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Washington County, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Washington County is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving drunk or high, a you need the best legal representation available to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who has a track record of winning in Washington County and Missouri. Depending on your unique situation, a sharp Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you may be able to get the charges dropped, 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 navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Washington County, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Washington County, MO?

Commonly referred to 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 define the definition of the crime of driving while intoxicated and lays forth the law for sentencing and punishments for DWI offenders for operating a vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit or while otherwise intoxicated. After your Missouri DWI arrest, you may need a DUI attorney near Washington County, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A person can be arrested for a DWI in Missouri for a variety 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 accusations of driving drunk, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of driving a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of psychoactive drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while intoxicated by psychoactive 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 were arrested for driving while intoxicated in Missouri, speak to a DUI attorney near you right away. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Washington County-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, diligent and sharp. For a trustworthy DUI attorney near you, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Washington County, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are pulled over for driving intoxicated. Speak to an experienced Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you with Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP to 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 have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Washington County, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Washington County, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Washington County, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be things like drifting out of lane, going on a road going in the wrong direction and other erratic behaviors such as inconsistencies in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer is not allowed to conduct a traffic stop unless they can identify reasonable suspicion that you are breaking the law by driving while intoxicated satisfy the higher burden of probable cause in order to actually arrest you for a DWI.

If you suspect that you were unlawfully stopped or arrested for your Washington 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 then obtained evidence that you were driving under the influence, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Washington County, MO who will fight to get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Washington County, MO

If you are pulled over by an officer under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will likely try to get you to do a test to prove that you are intoxicated. There are two types of tests Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO stops for DUIs, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was under the influence at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the bodily samples from blood to breath to saliva to urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of various substances including alcohol.

Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have what is known as an implied consent law, pursuant to whichWashington County, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests just by operating a vehicle. A good DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse 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 do take a breathalyzer test, speak to an exemplary Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you to discuss your defense and how they can help you. As your Washington County, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine if the breathalyzer or other test was performed legally and whether it is or is not admissible in court.
Field Sobriety Tests
Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are designed to gauge whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has spelled out three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Washington County, 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, call a DUI attorney near you in Washington County, MO as soon as you can. If you already performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your Washington County, MO DUI attorney will design an impenetrable 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 Washington County, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to systematically screen 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. Missouri legislators have discussed banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Washington County 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 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 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 are going through a checkpoint in Washington County, MO, speak to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Washington County, MO attorneys will tenaciously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Reach out to us online to review 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 Washington County, MO area. At Combs Waterkotte, a DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and navigate the legal process when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Washington County or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Washington County, MO defense lawyers can help you with a number of other kinds of cases, including:

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

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

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Washington County, 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 Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Washington County, MO can protect you. Contact our Washington County, MO defense law firm right away to discuss your rights, your case and your future.

Washington County, MO