Field Sobriety Tests: What are the police looking for?
If you have ever been arrested for a DUI you were more than likely asked to take a Standardized Field Sobriety Test. Most of my clients do take this test, and at our first meeting they always ask me what the police were looking for during the test. I often hear "I took the test and passed it" or "I did really well." I always find myself explaining what the police are looking for and why their evaluation of intoxication turned out differently than the client thought. Often the Standardized Field Sobriety Test is taken in view of a camera mounted in the police cruiser and a video is available to either support or undermine the officer's opinions.
Below is a list of general signs of intoxication which frequently arise in a DUI case, some of them are included in the Standardized Field Sobriety Test used in Mississippi.
• Odor of alcohol;
• Red, glassy or bloodshot eyes;
• Slurred, mumbled, confused or contradictory speech;
• Walk and Turn Test: cannot keep balance, starts too soon, stops walking, steps off line, wrong number of steps and improper turn; and
• One Leg Stand Test: cannot keep balance, swaying, hopping and putting foot down before completion.
After a DUI arrest the arresting officer will complete an arrest report which includes an evaluation of these signs. This arrest report, along with the video if one was made, is made available to me during the discovery process prior to your court date. The information provided in the arrest report is critical in my evaluation of your case and ultimately in the court's decision of whether to find you guilty of a DUI.
Below is a list of general signs of intoxication which frequently arise in a DUI case, some of them are included in the Standardized Field Sobriety Test used in Mississippi.
• Odor of alcohol;
• Red, glassy or bloodshot eyes;
• Slurred, mumbled, confused or contradictory speech;
• Walk and Turn Test: cannot keep balance, starts too soon, stops walking, steps off line, wrong number of steps and improper turn; and
• One Leg Stand Test: cannot keep balance, swaying, hopping and putting foot down before completion.
After a DUI arrest the arresting officer will complete an arrest report which includes an evaluation of these signs. This arrest report, along with the video if one was made, is made available to me during the discovery process prior to your court date. The information provided in the arrest report is critical in my evaluation of your case and ultimately in the court's decision of whether to find you guilty of a DUI.
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20 August 2008, 6:47 PM
Mississippi Criminal Defense Law Blog wrote:
As the new school year begins I thought I'd re-post some selected links from the past on the topic of alcohol and the laws/rules relating to consumption in Oxford and on the Ole Miss campus. These posts address various issues, including: alcohol related penalties, field sobriety tests and talking (or not) to the police. Enjoy!Drinking
Thanks for all these direct and exact information and I really hope I'll never need them. I never been charged with DUI and this police episode was unknown for me.
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