Field Sobriety Tests
There are a number of different field sobriety tests used by arresting police officers in drunk driving cases. Depending on which field sobriety test was used in your case, your Sacramento criminal defense attorney will need to build a tailored defense to refute the reliability and accuracy of the test with regards to your impaired driving.
The Department of Transportation has funded numerous studies which have concluded that only three of the field sobriety tests available are effective in detecting whether a driver is impaired and should be arrested on drunk driving charges. These tests are:
- Nystagmus
- One-leg-stand
- Walk-and-turn
The other field sobriety tests available to the police are simply too unreliable to stand up in a court of law and very easily disputed by Sacramento criminal defense attorneys.
Other TestsEven though law enforcement agencies nationwide have uniformly adopted the three“standardized” field sobriety tests, most California law enforcement agencies continue to use whatever test they prefer. Some examples of “other” tests used by California law enforcement include the ability to recite the alphabet or writing certain statements.
If one of these other tests were used as a basis for your DUI arrest, chances are that your Sacramento criminal defense attorney can easily argue the unreliability and of the test.
We Can HelpIf you or someone you know was arrested on drunk driving charges, it is crucial that you contact a Sacramento criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. To schedule a consultation with Sacramento criminal defense attorney Param Pabla, please call (916) 285-7900.