St. Louis DWI Lawyer | Missouri DWI Attorneys
Field Sobriety Tests
An experienced St. Louis DWI lawyer will try to have the results of field sobriety tests suppressed in court for a number of reasons. Many police officers are not properly trained to administer and/or properly evaluate the results of a field sobriety test. These tests are largely subjective and are often conducted in non-ideal conditions. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO SUBMIT TO A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST.
Field sobriety tests are comprised of physical and mental tasks used to determine if the driver is impaired. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended specific instructions on which field sobriety tests should be conducted and how a police officer should conduct the tests. The NHTSA has stated that "If any one of the standardized field sobriety test elements is changed, the validity is compromised."
The NHTSA recommends the following standardized field sobriety tests:
- The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) Test
- The Walk-and-Turn (WAT) Test
- The One-Leg-Stand Test
In addition to these tests, many police officers will ask a driver suspected of drunk driving to recite the alphabet without singing and/or to count backwards from 100 to a specific number. These tests are not endorsed by the NHTSA as part of a standardized field sobriety test battery.
Field sobriety tests are just one element of the evidence collected in a DWI case. Other evidence may include: police officer observations, defendant statements, preliminary/portable breath test (PBT) and BAC test results (breathalyzer or blood test).
Our experience as former police officers provides us with a unique perspective on every criminal defense case. If you or a loved one has been charged in Missouri or Illinois with DWI/DUI, it is important that you speak with an attorney who is experienced in DWI | DUI defense.
Contact us online or call a St. Louis DWI Lawyer 314-621-0622 for a FREE Consultation and learn how the law applies to your specific situation.
The St. Louis lawyers at Millikan & Millikan, LLC provide DWI Defense, Criminal Defense, Injury and Workers Compensation representation to individuals in the greater St. Louis Area, including: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Madison County and St. Clair County.
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