Tempe DUI Defense Attorney

Field Sobriety Tests

When an individual is pulled over under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they are frequently given a series of "field sobriety tests".  These tests are not very scientific, as the results are extremely subjective - based on the observation of a law enforcement officer who may have already "decided" that you are impaired.  When law enforcement is working the roads and highways of the Tempe area, they can become overzealous and force a situation into existence. 

For example, when doing the "walk and turn" test, there are numerous reasons why an individual may not be able to walk a straight line other than being impaired, including age, footwear, general sense of balance, medications, fear, confusion and others.  To add to the likelihood of a false result, for the test to be correctly administered it must occur away from traffic and on a flat surface, not a curved roadside with traffic whizzing by.  There are so many serious problems with field sobriety tests that it is not even a law that you must comply when asked to do them.   If you have been arrested and charged with drunk driving, it is critical that you contact a Tempe DUI defense attorney to protect your rights.

DUI Defense Lawyer in Tempe

The most accurate of the tests, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (a government agency), is the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test (HGN).  Nystagmus means the jerking of the eyes.  Even this test, according to the NHTSA, has only a 77% rate of accuracy when compared to actual blood alcohol concentration testing.  This is an indicator of how these tests are often inaccurate, and if they lead to your arrest, can be challenged in court. 

When dealing with the court proceedings regarding a DUI charge, when the field sobriety tests are successfully challenged by Attorney Joshua S. Davidson, it can lead to the jury being unable to use this evidence in your case.  Whatever your situation is, when you have been arrested and charged with DUI you are in legal trouble.  However, just because you are arrested does not necessarily mean you will be convicted.  With the assistance of Attorney Joshua S. Davidson, you can aggressively fight the charge and in many cases, clients have had the charges dismissed or reduced based on the relentlessly aggressive and knowledgeable approach of this qualified lawyer.

Contact Tempe DUI Defense Attorney Joshua S. Davidson if you have been arrested and charged with DUI and had field sobriety tests administered to you as part of the process.