Board-Certified Criminal Defense Representation In Central Florida

Alcohol concentration determination comes in many forms

by | Sep 19, 2019 | Drunk Driving Charges |

One thing that a person who is facing accusations of drunk driving will go through is testing to determine what’s going on. There are a few options that officers have in these cases, so you need to understand them all.

Most people are familiar with field sobriety tests, but not all of these are the same. There are only three tests that are considered accurate enough to be used in court. These are the horizontal gaze nystagmus, the one-leg stand and the walk-and-turn. Other tests aren’t as reliable, so they might be used but won’t be considered in court.

Another option that officers have is using a breath test. This is another area where some people aren’t entirely sure of what this means. The first thing to know is that the roadside breath test devices, known as preliminary alcohol screening devices, aren’t as reliable as the larger Breathalyzer machines. Officers can use the PAS to get an initial reading, but a more accurate test is necessary.

One of the issues with the PAS device is that they might not undergo calibration as they should. The officer should take you to have a Breathalyzer or to have a chemical test done through urine or blood screening.

The manner of testing the officer uses can have an impact on your defense strategy. Make mental notes of what happens throughout the process, so you can relay these to your lawyer. Not only do you have to set your criminal defense, but you also need to think about how you will address the administrative procedures that you will face.