Driving While Intoxicated is the offense of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. State law controls whether operating includes actual driving of the car or merely sitting in the car and the level of intoxication needed in order to be found in violation of the law. Some statutes refer to driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) that does not require intoxication. DUI and DWI lawyers represent people who have been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. DUI and DWI attorneys defend clients at each stage of a DUI or DWI case -- from arrest to an appeal after conviction. A DUI and DWI attorney may challenge aspects of a DUI or DWI arrest or conviction, including breathalyzer and chemical testing procedures.
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. In 2008, the population was estimated at 49,775 and the surrounding Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 172,933 in 2008. Although often believed to be named for ragtime composer Scott Joplin who lived in Sedalia, Missouri, Joplin is actually named for the Reverend Harris Joplin, the founder of the area's first Methodist congregation. Joplin was established in 1873 and expanded significantly from the wealth created by the mining of zinc, its growth faltering after World War II when the price of the mineral collapsed. The city gained additional renown as one of the stops on the historic Route 66.