Washington, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Washington, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Washington, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Washington is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are criminally charged 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 Washington and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute Washington, 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 navigate the law and all legal proceedings for your Washington, MO DUI case. For razor-sharp representation after you have been arrested of driving under the influence, speak to Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP.


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What is a DUI in Washington, MO?

Though people often refer to it as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 lay forth what constitutes the crime of driving while intoxicated and establishes the law for sentencing and punishments for those convicted of a DWI 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 Washington, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

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 drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI on suspicion of operating a vehicle while impaired by some kind of mind-altering drug.

The same Missouri law prohibits driving while impared by drugs that impair skills necessary to driving including motor skills, reaction time and decision making. That means that you are liable 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 right away. Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is a skilled Washington-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Law Group is dedicated, experienced and sharp. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

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Getting Stopped or Arrested for a DUI in Washington, MO

It is critical that you know your rights in the event that you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Reach out to Combs Law Group at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Washington, 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 being pulled over and arrested for intoxicated driving, our incredible Washington, MO defense law firm will shield you from injustice in court.

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

DUI Traffic Stops in Washington, MO

In order to pull someone over, a Washington, MO or any Missouri police officer must have reasonable suspicion. For a DWI, reasonable suspicion would be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and any other behaviors such as driving extremely slow or fast, swerving or braking.

A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to 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 Washington, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. 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 Washington, MO who can help get your case dismissed and put to rest so you can move on with your life.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Washington, MO

If a law officer stops you under suspicion of intoxicated driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. When it comes to roadside tests used by Washington, 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 Washington, 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 various substances including alcohol.

    Like most US states, Missouri has in place an implied consent law, pursuant to which, as a Washington, MO driver or driver anywhere in Missouri, you automatically agree 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 or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. You cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

    If you already did a breathalyzer test, consult an experienced Washington, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your DUI attorney near Washington, MO, Combs Law Group will obtain discovery documents and comb through them to determine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed 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 determine 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 Washington, 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 Washington, MO as soon as possible. If you have already agreed to and performed a field test and were then arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Washington, MO will build a 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.

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Traffic Checkpoints in Washington, MO

A checkpoint is a roadblock temporarily set up on a roadway as a way to randomly check drivers for behaviors like 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 debated banning sobriety checkpoints, but curent Missouri law still allows police to use them.

Checkpoints in Washington and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to familiarize yourself with your rights and the rules checkpoints must follow. If you are not sure, turn 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 roadway safety. DUI checkpoints should be:

  • announced to the public in advance
  • organized 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 legitimate 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 Washington, MO, speak to a Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP. Our experienced Washington, 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 Law Group, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Washington, MO area. A Combs Law Group DUI attorney near you will fight for your rights and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Washington or anywhere in Missouri. Our team of Washington, MO attorneys have expertise in a number of other case types, including:

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

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Washington, MO | Combs Law Group

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

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