There Are Serious Problems With Field Sobriety Tests in Texas
Many people, even some police officers, are confused about what constitutes a proper and valid field sobriety test. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides specific criteria and procedures for conducting standard field sobriety tests: The nine-step walk and turn, the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) (a test for involuntary eye bounce which may be a sign of intoxication) and the one-leg stand.
Other tests, such as reciting the alphabet backward, have not been evaluated in terms of whether they accurately detect a driver's impairment. If you were arrested and charged with DWI in Dallas or anywhere in North Texas based on a nonstandard field sobriety test, contact me immediately.
Even Standardized Tests May Be Unreliable
Even if the arresting officer employed one of the three standard tests, there are many reasons to doubt the results. Roadside conditions, a driver's lack of sleep or medical condition, and the officer's lack of training may all render field sobriety test results open to a challenge by an experienced and knowledgeable DWI defense lawyer.
Don't forget: in many DWI cases serious mistakes were made even before the field sobriety test was administered. Those mistakes may mean that, no matter how the arresting officer says you did on the field sobriety test, your case should be thrown out.
My name is Hank Judin. I am a Dallas criminal defense attorney with almost 30 years of experience representing clients charged with DWI in the DFW Metroplex and all of North Texas. I will aggressively pursue your best defense by fighting the validity of the traffic stop. I will do my utmost to protect your civil rights against any violation by overzealous Texas state troopers and police officers. I understand the rules and regulations governing field sobriety tests and will fight hard to challenge the results.
Contact Me Today
If you need an experienced lawyer to fight DWI charges based on unreliable field sobriety test results in the DFW Metroplex or anywhere in North Texas, I can help. Call my Dallas office today at 214-750-8555 or send me an e-mail now to schedule a free consultation. Se habla español.
