One of the biggest mistakes a person can make after being arrested for a DUI is to assume that they are out of options. This is never the case. For example, if you were arrested due to the results of a field sobriety test, an experienced California DUI attorney can challenge those results. Keep reading to learn more, or just contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for a free legal consultation.
Field Sobriety Tests Are Not Mandatory
If there is one thing that people learn about field sobriety tests, we hope it is that they are not mandatory and that it is entirely within a person’s right to refuse one. There are consequences if you refuse a breathalyzer or blood test, but there are no consequences for refusing a field sobriety test. As a result, there is no reason to ever agree to one.
These Tests Are Designed to Prove Someone is Guilty
In the state of California and the United States as a whole, a person is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. However, these tests are designed to prove that a person is guilty – they are not designed to prove that a person is innocent. The results are decided by a person who already suspects you are guilty. This is not a good combination.
We Can Fight These Test Results Because They Are Notoriously Unreliable
The reason that we can argue to the judge that these test results should be not be used against you is that there is a long list of precedence for doing so. These tests are very unreliable, and it not uncommon for a person who is not at all impaired to fail these tests. If the only thing the prosecutor has against you is a failed sobriety test, then they do not have a strong case.
What Are Field Sobriety Tests?
Many people think that blood or breathalyzer tests are what we mean by field sobriety tests, but this is not the case. Field sobriety tests are things like standing on one leg, following a light or pen side to side, walking and turning on a straight line, etc.
If you are facing a DUI charge, it is worth contacting a criminal defense attorney to see how we can help. Contact Chambers Law Firm now at 714-760-4088 to request a free legal consultation at your convenience.
