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

The Romberg Balancing Test

If you have been arrested for a DUI in Sacramento, the arresting officer may have used the Romberg test when trying to determine how intoxicated you were. The Romberg test is rather unique among field sobriety tests: it was originally developed in the 19th century as a means to diagnose diseases affecting the inner ear. Today, it is one of the most widespread field sobriety tests used in DUI arrests.

The basic procedure in the Romberg test appears quite simple: the subject stands with his feet together and with his hands at his side. The subject is then instructed to close his eyes and tilt his head back.

The procedure is not standardized, and as a result, there are many variations currently being used by officers. Some officers ask the subjects to stand with one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, instead of with their feet side by side. Some officers ask the subjects to hold their arms straight out instead of letting them hang at their sides. Other officers will change the amount of time the subject is asks to stands or will even try and combine the Romberg test with other field sobriety tests.

However, the accuracy of the test is heavily dependent on the arresting officer properly establishing of a baseline for his variation of the test. Without knowing how a subject would have performed on the test while sober, it cannot be determined with any degree of certainty how much of the subject’s performance of the test was due to alcohol impairment.

Since this data is practically impossible to collect when actually making a DUI arrest, law enforcement officers must make an educated guess as to the subject’s level of impairment by looking at data on how normal people usually perform on the test. However, the variation in procedure presents a real problem when trying to determine the accuracy of any given test. In addition, certain illnesses, as well as age and stress, can also affect test results.

Experienced Sacramento DUI attorneys know this and can use this uncertainty to defend you from DUI charges. Call today for an initial consultation with DUI attorney Param Pabla.

★★★★★

“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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