Item: Law Office of Param S. Pabla
Rating: 5
Author: Gurpreet

A Sacramento DUI Attorney Discusses the Problem with Field Sobriety Tests

If you face DUI charges, part of the evidence against you may be a failed field sobriety test. An experienced Sacramento DUI attorney can discuss the limitations of these tests. Countering such evidence is essential in defending you against charges.

Blood Alcohol Tests vs. Field Sobriety Tests

As your Sacramento DUI attorney can explain, blood tests (though not without problems) are generally more reliable than field sobriety tests. BAC tests carry objectivity and a scientific basis behind them while accurate field sobriety tests heavily depend on the person giving them. A Sacramento DUI attorney can provide more information about how to challenge even a BAC, if appropriate.

Subjective Nature of Field Sobriety Testing

As your Sacramento DUI lawyer can explain, field sobriety tests must be administered by a qualified officer. As such, they are prone to human error. Common types of field sobriety tests include:

tracking eye movements (nystagmus);
standing/walking heel to toe;
reciting the alphabet or counting backwards;
balance testing;
question and answers; and
date/time orientation.

As your Sacramento DUI lawyer can discuss, despite their unreliability, field sobriety tests are still used to establish probable cause for the arrest, evaluate mental impairment, and relation between possible alcohol use and driving behavior.

For Assistance from a Legal Professional

If you face DUI charges, there may still be ways to challenge poor performance on a field sobriety test. It is very important that you work with a legal professional who will do his utmost to defend you. Put an experienced Sacramento DUI attorney in your corner. Contact Param Pabla today at (916) 285-7900.

★★★★★

“Mr. Pabla represented me with my DUI case. He has excellent communication skills and always kept me informed. Mr. Pabla made sure I understood the process and my rights. He eased my mind through a very stressful situation. I highly recommend Mr. Pabla.” Gurpreet

“I am so happy with the service that I received from Param S. Pabla. Jarrett did a great job solving my legal issue and I can’t recommend him enough! He was able to do everything quickly, painlessly, and was ALWAYS available to talk when I needed him. If I ever need help again, I will definitely use him!" Boris

“Param was excellent in my court case of failure to stop at a stop sign. The officer could not see clearly because he was too far away. The officer insisted he could and said he had video but could not produce it at the trial. The officer then asked if he could suspend the trial to go get the video but the judge said he should have had plenty of time to get the video ready beforehand. Needless to say, the judge ruled in my favor and dismissed the case which enraged the officer. Pabla Param’s defense and cross examination skills were excellent and paramount in having the case dismissed. Highly recommended.” T.C.

“My husband and I needed to update everything -family trust, will, medical stuff. Param was really patient -answering all my questions -even when I asked them twice. He wanted to be sure I understood everything we were doing. All docs were sent to us so we could go through them on our own time before anything was finalized. I also liked when we were looking at medical stuff that he had a conversation with me about what I wanted and pointed out some things I didn’t think of.” Debbie

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