DUI Field Sobriety Tests
Utah drunk driving defense attorney
The Law Office of Harold W. Stone, III knows that most DUI cases begin the same way — the blue and red lights flashing behind your vehicle, the feeling of dread building in your stomach, and the request for your license, registration, and insurance. However, how you handle the next few minutes can make the difference between spending your days at work and spending them in jail.
Know your rights. Stand your ground.
If police officers suspect that you were drinking, they often conduct field sobriety tests in order to see if you were over the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol content (BAC) or under the influence of drugs while operating your vehicle. There are three standard tests that police officers routinely use — the one-legged stand, the walk and turn test, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test — to provide the prosecution with proof that you were driving drunk.
However, there are several important things about these tests that the police and prosecution do not want you to know.
- Field sobriety tests are not mandatory. Although you may later be required to take a chemical test, you have no legal obligation to take part in any field sobriety test.
- No field sobriety test is 100 percent accurate.
- Field sobriety tests must be administered by a certified police officer trained in DUI testing.
- Even if you failed a field sobriety test, you have defenses available to you that can get your charges dismissed.
Utah lawyer dedicated to defending you
The Law Office of Harold W. Stone, III knows how to defend clients charged with DUI. As a Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney, Mr. Stone aggressively attacks any evidence gathered against you during field sobriety tests, and challenges the prosecution to prove that the police officer followed proper protocol every step of the way. We look up police records to see if the arresting officer was trained and certified in how to conduct sobriety tests. Mr. Stone uses scientific evidence to show that sobriety tests are not 100 percent reliable, and that a distinct potential for error exists in these cases.
Do not let one test send you to jail.
Call Harold Stone today at 1-801-913-7055, or contact him online to schedule a free initial consultation.
