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DUI drunk driving defense lawyers 888 - 4 - TOPGUN ® "Friends don't let friends plead guilty" TM Biographies of TOPGUN attorneys DEREK A. DANIELSON is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, School of Law. Mr. Danielson is "Of Counsel" to the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman where he specializes in the defense of driving under the influence cases. Since joining the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman, Mr. Danielson has successfully tried drunk driving cases in both the Municipal Courts and Superior Courts throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties. A senior prosecutor has described Mr. Danielson as "one of the two best DUI attorneys in the State" and recently after completion of another trial, a Superior Court judge commented that Mr. Danielson "is one of the finest counsel to have appeared before me". Prior to his association with Myles L. Berman, Mr. Danielson practiced for over 20 years in Toronto, Canada as senior partner in the Law Offices of Danielson and Fox, an internationally recognized firm specializing in the defense of all criminal matters. Mr. Danielson has conducted thousands of criminal trials, both jury and non-jury, involving a range of charges from murder to simple assaults. Mr. Danielson has appeared at all levels of appellate courts in Canada where he successfully argued for the creation of defense discovery rights, exclusion of confessions based on State trickery, dismissals based on precharging delay as well as obtaining an acquittal in a quadruple death case before the Supreme Court of Canada. He has tried over 600 drunk driving cases. Mr. Danielson is a member of the following associations: Chair Criminal Law Section and Board of Governors, Century City Bar Association, past Co-Chair Entertainment Section, Century City Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Specialist Member, Certified Specialist California Deuce Defenders, Criminal Courts Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Criminal Lawyers Association (Canada) and National College for DUI Defense. He is co-author of the DUI chapter of California Criminal Law, Procedure and Practice (CEB) and a contributor to California Drunk Driving Defense. He is listed In Who's Who In The West and Who's Who In American Law. DAVID T. KAYE is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He obtained his law degree from Western State University and was admitted to the California Bar in 1994. He served as a Deputy District Attorney in Fresno County and then established a private practice limited to criminal defense with an emphasis on DUI cases. He is actively involved in the legal community and has served four years as a Co-Chairman of the criminal section of the San Diego North County Bar Association. Mr. Kaye has represented over 1500 clients with DUI charges and has tried more than 200 DUI jury trials throughout Southern California. He is "Of Counsel" to the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman. TARA C. DEUKMEDJIAN graduated with honors in Political Science from the University of California San Diego. She obtained her law degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law. Ms. Deukmedjian served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles prior to joining the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman. In addition to successfully representing clients in courts throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, she is also successfully representing clients before the DMV. Ms. Deukmedjian is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association as well as the Armenian Bar Association. JASON TRUMPLER graduated magna cum laude from Whittier College in 1997, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He obtained his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 2000. During law school, Mr. Trumpler participated in Moot Court and Mock Trial. Prior to joining the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman, Mr. Trumpler spent three years working for the Orange County District Attorney's Office. During his tenure with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, Mr. Trumpler handled hundreds of driving under the influence cases at both the pre-trial and trial stage. In addition, he trained law enforcement officers throughout the county on driving under the influence investigation. Mr. Trumpler also previously worked with the Ventura County District Attorneys Office as a Deputy District Attorney. In that capacity he also handled hundreds of driving under the influence cases. Mr. Trumpler concentrates his practice in defending people accused of driving under the influence in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. RANDY S. COLLINS graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School and received the Criminal Justice Clinical Award at the graduation ceremonies. Thereafter, Mr. Collins served as a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Riverside where he prosecuted hundreds of driving under the influence cases at the pre-trial stage and performed numerous jury and non-jury trials. Additionally, he underwent extensive training on DUI cases at the District Attorney Training Academy where he learned firsthand how DUI cases are prosecuted, defended, and successfully negotiated. Moreover, Mr. Collins has been trained by the Department of Justice on the technology used by law enforcement to record breath alcohol levels. Mr. Collins focuses his representation DUI of clients in courts throughout Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association as well as the American Bar Association. MELISSA A. OSIO graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Political Science in 1997. Thereafter, in 1999, she obtained her law degree from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. Ms. Osio also clerked at the First District Court of Appeals where she formulated working opinions based on criminal appellate issues. She is licensed to practice law in both California and Texas and has been admitted to the United States District Court, Central District of California. Prior to joining the Law Offices of Myles L. Berman, Ms. Osio served as a Deputy District Attorney in Hidalgo County, Texas, where she handled hundreds of drunk driving cases from plea bargaining to both pre-trial and trial stages. At the District Attorney's Office, she received extensive training through its continuing education program on how drunk driving cases are prosecuted, defended, negotiated, and dismissed. Ms. Osio has also successfully represented DUI clients in both California and Texas. Ms. Osio is a member of the State Bar of California, the Criminal Law Section of the State Bar of California, the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association. Return to "Top Gun DUI Defense Attorney"® Myles L. Berman's Home Page seo by WebMarket West



La Porte, Indiana DUI/DWI Attorneys, Lawyers and Law Firms DUI/DWI Lawyers in La Porte County, Indiana View all DUI/DWI Lawyers in Indiana Search for Premier DUI/DWI Attorneys Search by State: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MH MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX VI UT VT VA WA WV WI WY -------- or --------- Search within: 25 Miles 50 Miles 125 Miles All From Zip Code: Additional Resources How a criminal lawyer can help DUI/DWI Law (Drunk Driving) FAQs State-by-state DMV Information State laws on Drunk Driving MADD Impaired Driving Facts Alcoholics Anonymous Drunk Driving State Statisics Home -> DUI/DWI -> Indiana -> La Porte County Lawyers View All La Porte County Lawyers The Cochran Firm Criminal Defense Section Contact: Call for Free Consultation Free Phone Consultation Send Email | Visit WebSite | Click Here for Phone Number All Courts, All Crimes. Federal, State, Juvenile, Sex Crimes, Drugs, DUI, Domestic Violence, Embezzlement, etc. Available 24 Hours, for Free Consultation. Experienced Attorneys with Proven Results. Listings for La Porte County DUI/DWI Lawyers: Michigan City, IN Rutkowski Law Office , Thomas J. Rutkowski, 2710 Franklin Street Are you a Lawyer? List on AttorneyPages | Find Expert Witnesses | Find Legal Information / Advice | Legal Forms | About Us | Media AttorneyPages® is not a lawyer referral service and never receives any portion of any attorney's fees.We welcome feedback from visitors but are not responsible for any attorney's advice. Use of AttorneyPages.com is subject to our disclaimer, conditions of use and privacy policy.Use for marketing or solicitation is prohibited. AttorneyPages® , ExpertPages® and FreeAdvice® are trademarks and units of Advice Company ® 1997 to 2006 - All Rights Reserved - For feedback or listing information only, contact us by phone, Fax or Email: 2330 Marinship Way Suite 120, Sausalito, CA 94965, P.O. Box 1739 Sausalito, CA 94966 (415) 331-1212 - Fax (415) 331-4255



Field Sobriety Testing In

Field Sobriety Testing In Illinois - Science V. Law - DUI Attorney Illinois                            Name:       Email:       Tell us about your problem                                     Or click here for a   more comprehensive form RAMSELL & ARMAMENTOS, LLC MEMBER, AMERICA'S TOP DUI & DWI DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TM      1-800-DIAL-DUI© ILLINOIS DUI DEFENSE CASES            ILLINOIS CRIMINAL DEFENSE CASES   Hyperlinking widget for 1-800-Dial-DUI and dialdui.com DUI Field Sobriety Testing In Illinois - Science V. DUI Laws By Donald J. Ramsell In People v. Bostelman (2d Dist. 2001) 2-00-0850, the Second District Appellate Court was called upon to decide whether field sobriety tests were admissible in the absence of evidence that the tests were generally acceptable under scientific principles or in the particular field in which they belong, as recognized by Frye v. United States , 293 F. 1013, 1014 (D.C. Cir. 1923). The Bostelman court, in holding that field sobriety tests need not comply with Frye , stated that the field sobriety tests “measured abilities that are tested innumerable times throughout the average day of the normally active person”, and therefore are not subject to attack under Fyre principles. The fundamental problem in the Bostelman decision is that it implicitly holds that police officers may create any number of physical or mental “exercises“ and then refer to them as “sobriety tests”. In fact, two of the “tests” given by the officer in Bostelman , namely the alphabet test and count backwards test, have never been validated as reliable indicators of intoxication. The three remaining tests in Bostelman , i.e., the One-Leg Stand test, the Walk-and-Turn test, and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test have only been validated as reliable indicators of intoxication when they are properly administered and properly scored in strict compliance with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. According to NHTSA, the failure of an officer to comply with proper administration and scoring compromises the validity of these tests entirely. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “DWI Detention and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Student Manual, Section VIII, 2000, AVA 20839-BBOINA, National Technical Information Service, Washington, D.C. 2000. In the late 1970's, NHTSA was called upon to develop a battery of reliable standardized field sobriety tests to aid in the detection of drunk drivers. The result was the One-Leg Stand test, the Walk-and-Turn test, and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test. According to NHTSA, laboratory research revealed that the One-Legged stand test was 65% accurate in identifying subjects whose blood alcohol concentrations were 0.10 or higher, the Walk-and Turn was 68% accurate, and the HGN was 77% accurate. A large scale field valuation study was then performed in 1982 and 1983. As per NHTSA, this large scale validation study was the first significant assessment of the “workability” of the standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) under actual enforcement conditions, and it was the first time that completely objective clues and scoring criteria had been defined for the tests. U.S. Department of Transportation, N.H.T.S.A., US DOT HS 178 r10/95, “DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Student Manual”, Section VIII Page 11 (1995). If field sobriety tests simply “measure abilities that are tested innumerable times throughout the average day of the normally active person”, as suggested by the Bostelman decision, then why is the error rate as high as the 35% reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? The problem with the Bostelman decision rests truly not with the Court, but with the record on appeal upon which the Court was required to rule. The Bostelman appeal centered on the defendant’s claim that his trial counsel was ineffective for not seeking to exclude, as lacking foundation, the arresting officer’s testimony concerning the field sobriety tests defendant underwent and the arresting officers subsequent opinion concerning defendant’s state of intoxication. The recitation of the trial court proceedings by the Bostelman court suggests that the types of tests given and the procedures employed by the officer were virtually uncontested by his trial attorney. No evidence was introduced about the fallibility of field sobriety testing or about the manner in which these tests were administered. Had the record contained evidence gleaned from field sobriety student manuals, published scientific studies or testimony from experts on field sobriety testing, perhaps the Bostelman Court would have rendered a different decision. Two recent decisions from other jurisdictions did have adequate records on appeal with which to rule regarding the admissibility of so-called field sobriety tests; State of Ohio v. Homan (2000) 89 Ohio St. 3d 421 and U.S. v. Horn (2002 U.S. Dist. Ct. Maryland) 00-946-PWG. In State of Ohio v. Homan , supra , the Ohio Supreme Court held that in order for the results of a field sobriety test to serve as evidence of probable cause to arrest, the police must have administered the test in strict compliance with standardized testing procedures. The Homan court noted that “when field sobriety testing is conducted in a manner that departs from established methods and procedures, the results are inherently unreliable”. Unlike Bostelman , the Supreme Court of Ohio acknowledged that “experts in the areas of drunk driving apprehension, prosecution and defense all appear to agree that the reliability of field sobriety test results does indeed turn upon the degree to which police comply with standardized testing procedures.” Citing from the extensive study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Homan court stated: “The NHTSA concluded that field sobriety tests are an effective means of detecting legal intoxication “only when, the tests are administered in the prescribed, standardized manner, . . . the standardized clues are used to assess the suspect’s performance [,and] . . . the standardized criteria are employed to interpret that performance.” It would seem that if, as Bostelman implicitly suggests, performing sobriety tests is simple, then an officers ability to administer and score the tests in a standardized manner should be equally as simple. Requiring the use of validated, standardized field sobriety testing in Illinois in order to avoid the possibility of erroneous arrests for drunk driving is a concept whose time has arrived, especially in light of the heightened penalties that have been attached to drunk driving convictions. The Bostelman decision actually took a step backwards. Whereas prior caselaw had suggested that the officer must receive formal training in the administration of field sobriety tests ( People v. Sides 199 Ill. App. 3e 203 (1990)), the Bostelman court stated that no such training is necessary. Rather, Bostelman states that “so fundamental are such exercises of balance, coordination, and basic recognition to the activity of the average person that ‘even a layperson is competent to testify regarding a person’s intoxication from alcohol, because such observations are within the competence of all adults of normal experience,’ (citing to) People v. Workman , 312 Ill. App. 3d 305, 310 (2000).” In the Northeast Multi-Regional Training (NEMERT) Alcohol and Drugged Driver Detection Manual, used to train many of the patrol officers in the Chicagoland area, it states that: “The recommended test battery consists of the nystagmus gaze test , the walk and turn test , and the one leg stand test . The administration and scoring of these tests have been standardized so they can be used in the way that makes them as sensitive as possible in detecting alcohol impairment. If the standardized administration and scoring procedures presented in this manual are not followed, then the decision-making guidelines are no longer accurate”. The devoid record presented to the Bostelman court left it uninformed on the science behind SFSTs, and left the court in the untenuous position of either affirming the trial court’s guilty verdict or establishing a far-reaching decision in DUI cases in Illinois in the face of a defendant who did virtually nothing to prove that the tests given to him were somehow unfair or improperly administered and scored. As stated in U.S. v. Horn , 00-946 PWG (2002 U.S. Dist. Ct. Maryland) “this highlights an inherent limitation in the process of judicial evaluation of the reliability and validity of any scientific or technical evidence: the court must . . . act as “gatekeeper” to decide whether the evidence is reliable and admissible. The court, however, is limited in its ability to do so by the quantitative and qualitative nature of the evidence produced by the parties, whatever research the court may do, and any help it may derive from courts that have addressed the issue before it. This process unavoidably takes place on a continuum, and a court faced with the present task of deciding the admissibility of scientific evidence must exercise care to consider whether new developments or evidence require a reevaluation of the conclusions previously reached by courts that did not have the benefit of the more recent information. In short, neither science and technology may rest on past accomplishments – nor may the courts.” U.S. v. Horn , id at p. 12-13 fn. 15. In United States v. Horn , supra, the District Court of Maryland reviewed extensive caselaw, received a multitude of studies and medical articles, and heard testimony from a variety of experts on both sides regarding the validity and reliability of standardized field sobriety testing. After hearing, the Court ruled that: The results of properly conducted SFSTs may be considered for probable cause or at trial; The results of SFSTs cannot be used to prove a specific blood alcohol concentration; There is a well-recognized causal connection between the ingestion of alcohol and exaggerated H.G.N.; A police officer trained and qualified to perform SFSTs may testify to his observations, if properly administered, but may not use value-added descriptions to characterize the subject’s performance, such as saying the subject “failed the test” or “exhibited” a certain number of “standardized clues” during the test; If the Government introduces evidence of nystagmus, the defendant may bring out either during cross-examination or by asking the court to take judicial notice of the fact that there are many causes of nystagmus other than alcohol ingestion; and If otherwise admissible, the police officer may give lay opinion testimony that the defendant was Driving Under the Influence, but he may not bolster the testimony by reference to any scientific, technical or specialized information learned from law enforcement or traffic safety instruction. U.S. v. Horn , id at pp. 3-5. In many respects, Horn follows Bostelman’s theory that a police officer may testify (just as any other layperson) that someone is under the influence of alcohol. Horn , however, makes clear that the police officer is not to be misrepresented to the jury or judge as some kind of expert, unless the government establishes that he is otherwise so qualified. Horn also recognizes the prejudice to the defendant that accompanies testimony regarding non-validated and non-standardized field sobriety testing by prohibiting non-standardized tests from being introduced into evidence. The Horn ruling is based upon and supported by a variety of scientific and technical resources, which will be further discussed in this article. As stated previously, the three SFSTs (HGN, One-Leg Stand, and Walk-and-Turn) were developed on behalf of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration beginning in the 1970's. Amongst the reports discussing the development of the SFSTs is a June 1977 final laboratory study of subjects dosed to varying blood alcohol levels prepared for NHTSA by Dr. Marcelline Burns and Herbert Moskowitz Ph.D. entitled “Psychophysical Tests for DWI Arrests”. DOT-HS-802-424, National Technical Information Service, Washington, D.C. (1977). This is the study which found the HGN 77% accurate, the One-Leg Stand 65% accurate, and the Walk-and-Turn test 68% accurate in detecting impaired drivers. A March 1981 final report prepared for NHTSA by Dr. Burns titled “Developments and Field Test of Psychophysical Tests for DWI Arrest” recommended the use of the present three test SFST battery. Tharp V, Burns M and Moskowitz H, DOT-HS805-864. National Technical Information Service, Washington, D.C., 1981. In 1982, a field evaluation of the three SFSTs was begun, where battery-trained police officers recorded data on 1,506 drivers stopped for “suspicion of DWI’, as well as a review of data recorded on an additional 1,000 drivers stopped for DWI in other states. The results of that field evaluation were reported in “Field Evaluation of a Behavioral Test Battery for DWI, Research and Development”, U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, D.O.T. HS-806-475 (Sept. 1983 NHTSA Technical Note). This study reported that the HGN test was 82% accurate, the One-Leg Stand 78% accurate and the Walk-and-Turn 83% accurate in the detection of DWI offenders. The authors of the 1983 report noted that there were significant reasons to be extremely cautious about the data collected and the conclusions drawn regarding the effectiveness of the field sobriety tests that were used. First, officers were not randomly assigned to different groups, so outcomes may have been affected by selection and assignment bias. Second, and most important, in the great majority of cases the drivers were given portable breath tests prior to the arrest decision, so the officers evaluation of the field sobriety tests may have been affected by this knowledge of the drivers reported alcohol concentrations prior to the arrest decision having been made. As a result of these studies, in 1984 the NHTSA published their first field sobriety testing manual, “Improved Sobriety Testing”, U.S. Department of Transportation NHTSA (1984) DOT HS-0-421-018. It stated that “if the standardized testing and scoring procedures in this Manual are not followed the decision making guidelines will not be accurate”. Amongst the important aspects noted in the 1984 NHTSA Improved Sobriety Testng Manual’s administration and scoring of the procedures, is that the officer is told to “be sure to mention [to the suspect] that part of your evaluation will be based upon how well he follows instructions and performs exactly as demonstrated”. With regard to the HGN test, officers are informed to “check yourself monthly with (a 45 degree template) to be sure that your accuracy has been sustained”. The manual also notes that, the onset point at a BAC of 0.10 is about 40 degrees (the 45 degree angle correlates to 0.05 BAC). For the Walk-and-Turn test, the manual notes that the instructions should be given “exactly” as contained in the manual. The manual further states that the officer should observe the suspect from three or four feet away and remain motionless during the suspects performance of the Walk-and-Turn test, because excessive motion will make it more difficult for the suspect to perform, “even if he is sober”. “People more than 60 years of age, over 50 pounds overweight, or with physical impairments should not be given this test”. Further, according to the manual, “the Walk-and-Turn test requires a line that the suspect can see”. The 1984 NHTSA Manual also notes that the One-Leg-Stand test requires adequate lighting. “In total darkness, the One-Leg-Stand is difficult even for sober people”. Again, the officer should be at least 3 feet away and remain relatively motionless. “Being too close – just as in the Walk-and-Turn Test – makes the test more difficult” states the manual. The officer is instructed to time the One-Leg-Stand Test and to terminate it after the end of the count by the suspect or after 30 seconds, if the person counts slowly. Since 1984, the essential ingredients of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing has remained unchanged. That is, field sobriety tests are only valid when properly administered and properly scored in strict compliance with NHTSA standards. The reason for this is obvious - the tests measure not just balance and coordination, as noted in Bostelman , but they also measure a person’s ability to follow instructions exactly, even when their balance is unimpaired from alcohol. Many studies have been published in scientific or medical journals which are highly critical of these Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. These studies either criticize an officer’s actual administration and scoring of the tests – i.e., “they don’t do them as trained and instructed”, or they are critical of the reported accuracy of the tests in gauging impairment. In a study written by Dr. Spurgeon Cole, Ph.D., Dr. Cole is highly critical of the reliability of the SFSTs when used to prove impairment or alcohol levels. In “Field Sobriety Tests: Are they designed for Failure?” Perceptual and Motor Skills (1994), Dr. Cole analyzed the 1977 NHTSA report, the 1981 NHTSA report and the 1983 NHTSA Field Evaluation report, and observed the following (as reported in the Horn decision supra ): 47% of the subjects in the 1977 NHTSA laboratory study who would have been arrested actually had BACs below 0.10; in the 1981 NHTSA report, 32% of the subjects were incorrectly judged to have BAC’s at or above 0.10; the accepted reliability coefficient for standardized clinical tests is .85 or higher, yet the reliability coefficients for the SFSTs as reported in the NHTSA studies, ranged from .61 to .72 for the individual tests and .77 for individuals that were tested on two different occasions while dosed to the exact same BAC. More alarming, inter-rater reliability rates (where different officers score each subject) ranged from .34 to .60, with an over-all rate of .57. As further stated in Horn : Dr. Cole’s study theorized that the SFSTs, particularly the Walk-and-Turn and One-Leg-Stand tests, required subjects to perform unfamiliar, unpracticed motions and noted that a very few miscues result in a conclusion that the subject failed and had a BAC in excess of 0.10. His hypothesis was that individuals could be classified as intoxicated/impaired as a result of unfamiliarity with the test, rather than actual BAC. He tested this hypothesis by videotaping twenty-one completely sober individuals performing either “normal-abilities tests” (such as reciting their addresses or phone numbers or walking in a normal manner) or the Walk-and-Turn and One-Leg-Stand tests. Id . The results of Dr. Cole’s study were that 46% of the officers that viewed the videotape of the sober individuals performing the SFSTs rated the subjects as having had too much to drink, as compared to only 15% reaching this decision after seeing the videotape of the subjects performing the normal-abilities tests. Horn , supra. Dr. Cole concluded: “[The SFSTs] must be held to the same standards the scientific community would expect of any reliable and valid test of behavior. This study brings the validity of field sobriety tests into question. If law enforcement officials and the courts wish to continue to use field sobriety tests as evidence of driving impairment, then further study needs to be conducted addressing the direct relationship of performance on these and other tests with driving. To date, research has concentrated on the relationship between test performance and BAC and officers’ perception of impairment. This study indicates that these perceptions may be faulty.” Horn , supra . In “End-position nystagmus as an indicator of ethanol intoxication”, Science and Justice 2001, Vol 41: pp 113-116, published by the Forensic Science Society, the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test was studied under clinical experimentation. The authors concluded that the HGN has a high baseline error and a dose/response relationship that varies greatly depending upon whether the subjects BAC concentration was rising or falling. Further, the officers noted that videotapes recorded by cameras in police vehicles revealed that police officers rarely comply with the minimum requirements of the nystagmus examination procedures for which they were trained and certified. The Science and Justice study further stated that fatigue testing determined that subjects had distinct nystagmus in one or both eyes after being awake for an average of 11.2 hours. Distinct nystagmus was noted in 55% of the group after being awake an average of 24.5 hours. In 52 videotapes of officers who arrested persons for Driving Under the Influence, only one officer conducted the HGN test in a manner consistent with the approved procedures. The study stated that “the HGN test has routinely been applied in situations where a high incidence of false positives is to be expected.” In a survey of police surgeons who attended a training seminar devoted to use of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests pioneered in the United States (and are the subject of discussion herein), 44% of the police surgeons expressed reservations with the use of the SFSTs. “Drugs Driving - standardized field sobriety tests: a survey of police surgeons in Strathclyde” Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine (2001) Vol. 8: pp 57-65. In an article entitled “Psychology, Public Policy and the Evidence for Alcohol Intoxication” American Psychologist 1070 (Oct. 1983) a series of experiments performed at Rutgers University’s Alcohol Behavior Research Laboratory to test the ability of social drinkers, bartenders and police officers’ abilities to estimate the sobriety of individuals was reported. Each group was charged with reliably judging an individual’s intoxication. All three subject groups – the social drinkers, the bartenders, and the police officers – correctly judged the subjects level of intoxication only 25 percent of the time. In other states, the laws regarding the admissibility of field sobriety tests (other than HGN) is largely unsettled. In Hawaii, the courts held that the One-Leg Stand and Walk-and-Turn are non-scientific in nature, but the prohibited the officer from testifying that a person “passed” or “failed” these tests without laying a proper foundation. State v. Ferrer 23 P.3d 744 (Hawaii Ct. App. 2001). Conclusion The Bostelman decision perpetuates an urban myth that sobriety tests– any sobriety tests whether nonvalidated or improperly administered by a police officer – are reliable indicators of intoxication. This decision passes to the jury the unenviable task of weighing upon the validity and reliability of field sobriety tests in the vacuum of the jury room. Had the Bostelman court been given the information that was received into the record by the Homan court or the Horn court, perhaps their decision would have been different. Defense counsel would be well advised to do their homework and be well prepared when defending a client charged with Driving Under the Influence when the testimony rests upon questionable field sobriety exercises or improperly administered or improperly scored Field Sobriety Tests. Further, even when performed properly, counsel should be prepared to establish that these tests are not foolproof, and have been the subject of criticism in the legal, scientific and medical communities. About The Author Donald J. Ramsell is the founding Director of Ramsell, Armamentos & Klis, L.L.C. in Wheaton, Illinois. His firm has defended over 7,000 DUI cases since 1986. Recently, Donald was certified as a field Sobriety Testing Instructor using NHTSA Standards. About Our Firm    About Our Attorneys    40 Ways to Beat a DUI    Illinois DUI Law Resources    DUI Articles and Information    DUI Case Highlights Criminal Defense    Criminal Case Highlights    Letters from DUI Clients    Free Case Review    Office Location    Contact Us National Attorney Directory    Free Case Review    Blood Alcohol Calculator    Nationwide DUI Attorney Directory    Home    Site Map © 2006 Ramsell, Armamentos & Klis, Attorneys At Law, L.L.C.



breathalyzers might foster competition,

Daily Nebraskan - STAFF EDITORIAL: Bar breathalyzers might foster competition, not safety Thursday January 26, 2006 Interact: TheDirectory Front Page News Sports Opinion Arts Extra About us Advertising DN Alumni Classifieds E-mail Lists DN Mall Archives Search News options OPINION COLLIN W. SULLIVAN: Bush unlikely to tell truth on torture in address LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, 1/26/2006 SCHUMANN'S VIEW, 1/26/2006 STAFF EDITORIAL: Budget shortfall could be political blessing Sign Up for the Daily Nebraskan News Update (enter email address) Sports News more info privacy policy Search WWW Searchunl.edu STAFF EDITORIAL: Bar breathalyzers might foster competition, not safety October 05, 2005 safety Last week the Daily Nebraskan reported on the growing trend of putting breathalyzers in bars. Bars in some cities such as Boulder, Colo., have breathalyzers by the door. The idea is that people leaving can test their blood-alcohol level before getting behind the wheel. While a noble attempt to curb a disturbingly large national problem, it seems to take only one step forward and two back. Although it may convince a few people now and again to flag a cab or give the keys to a friend, it presents an even more disturbing issue: drinking for sport. These machines quantify how plastered bar patrons are. There’s a high likelihood these breathalyzers, in a place like O Street, would tempt some drinkers to try to get a high score by shooting air into a plastic tube instead of shooting darts at a plastic board. Despite the potential to sell more drinks to college students shooting to blow a .20, many O Street owners don’t like the idea of breathalyzers in their bars, so they’re not likely to catch on here too quickly. And that’s a good thing. After all, it shouldn’t be a digital read-out that gives you the no-go to drive. Bar patrons should be responsible enough to know after more than a couple, it’s time to turn the keys over or call a cab. And if they’re still not certain, they probably shouldn’t be driving anyway. Last year Lincoln averaged about 4.5 drunk driving tickets and just less than one drunk driving accident per day, according to Lincoln Police Department records. That’s 270 completely unnecessary and likely preventable accidents. But it shouldn’t be public breathalyzers that prevent those tickets and accidents. It should be the driver who prevents it from happening before he of she even takes a sip of beer or shot of whiskey. As the popularity of these beer-o-meters spreads across the country, it should stir up more talk about how to prevent drunk driving. The sobering discussion should steer toward solutions like more taxi cabs for patrons to use and bar-issued vouchers to prevent early-morning parking tickets being given to people who made the right decision the night before. Installing breathalyzers, though they transfer some responsibility to patrons, would be blowing an opportunity for Lincoln to address its larger problems surrounding bar patronage.     STAFF EDITORIAL: Bar breathalyzers might foster competition, not safety Post your feedback on this topic here 10/05/2005 Last year, my small town had this... James 10/05/2005 Instead of showing a digital readout... Kevin 10/07/2005 We have breathalyzers in some of our... Michael 10/08/2005 The premise that breathalyzers will... Elias Shedd 10/08/2005 There is nothing wrong with drinking... mike 10/08/2005 This is comical! It ranks right in... Society to Ban Quarters 10/09/2005 "Bar patrons should be responsible... Paul (Feedback requires a Javascript-compatible browser) Enter city, state, or zip. | Front Page | News | Sports | Opinion | Arts | Arts : CD reviews | Extra : Wedding Guide | About us | Advertising | DN Alumni | Classifieds | E-mail Lists | DN Mall | Archives | © 2006 Daily Nebraskan Advertise on the New Digital Group College Newspaper Network



Drunk Driving Laws

Original DUI Attorney - DWI Lawyer Directory and Drunk Driving Defense Guides - since 1997 - www.DUI-Help.com Find your statebelow and click for information (choosestate) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Canada Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinoi s Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada NewHampshire NewJersey NewMexico NewYork NorthCarolina NorthDakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania RhodeIsland SouthCarolina SouthDakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington WestVirginia Wisconsin Wyoming Canada Did You Know? You can purchase Drunk Driving Defense related books here on this site.Click Books for more information. SecureDo-it-yourself Quiz Do YouHave a Case? FreeDefense Report SecureAsk-your-question Form NoObligation FreeConsultation LargestCollection of DUI Qualified Directory Search Page Find anAttorney DWI DUI Expert Lawyers &Attorneys can apply to have practicelisted in the directory, clickhere Get your Free Defense Report above BREAKINGDUI NEWS & DUI BLOG stories from agencies acrossthe internet 1/15/2006 - BLOODalcohol content calculations Health24.com - Cape Town,South Africa When you drink, your blood alcohol levels are not skyhigh withinminutes. When alcohol is consumed and the blood alcohol concentration... 1/8/2006 - SFST -Standardized Field Sobriety Tests - Junk or Not? AZ Central.com - AZ,USA ... slew of DUI defense attorneys have been assiduously picking apartBurns' research on the standardized field sobriety tests for years.Spurgeon Cole, a Georgia ... 12/25/2005 - SITESand Sound Advice For Your Eve Washington Post - United States ... In case you're thinking of trying your luck at avoiding the law,consider that a DUI these days will cost you at least $7,800.FriendsDriveSober ... 12/6/2005 - THE Claim:Never Drink on an Empty Stomach New YorkTimes - United States ... But the subjects also reached significantlylower blood-alcohol levels over all - on average about 70 percent ofwhat they were on the day they skipped ... 12/4/2005 - HOWmuch booze OK? Debate of .05 or .08 blood-alcohol level EdmontonSun - Canada Raynald Marchand, the Canada Safety Council'smanager of trafficsafety, says criminalizing motorists with a blood-alcohol concentration(BAC) of .05 is the ... 12/3/2005 - Sucking on a pennyor a breath mint will help someone who has been drinking defeat abreathalyzer test . fromSnopes.com ... For this reason, we adorethe honest side adore the notion oflittleeasy-to-do tricks that will keep us, the occasional overindulgers, frombeing rounded up and tossed into the hoosegow as if we were actualmiscreants who make our roads dangerous. ... 11/30/2005 - THEY'REhopping MADD over pocket breathalyzers Mississauga News Mississauga,Ontario,Canada ... But, police and MADD say the devices are often inaccurate and theyencourage people to drink and drive. "Using the pocket breathalyzer islike playing Russian ... 11/23/2005 - Drinking & Driving Can Create HolidayTragedies; 21st Century Insurance Urges Safe Driving with SeasonalCampaign Common AlcoholConsumption Myths -- and Facts that Could Save Lives: Myth: Aslong asparty-goers stick to beer and wine, instead of hard liquor, theintoxicating effects are minimized. FACT: One 12 oz. can of beer,5 oz. glass of wine or 12 oz. wine coolercontains the same amount of alcohol as one 1/2 oz. of hard liquor. Myth: Someone who has had too much to drink willshow visible signs ofintoxication. FACT: Physical appearance canbe misleading. Just one drink can impairone's ability to drive safely, because alcohol consumption affectsjudgment and motor skills first. Myth: Drinkingcoffee sobers up someone who has had too much to drink. FACT: Time isthe only solution to intoxication. It takes approximately one hour tooxidize each drink consumed. 11/19/2005 - UNTRAINED,unskilled, uncorrected drivers to blame for most traffic crashes KingsportTimes News - Kingsport,TN,USA First in a series Jerry Paregien is a retiredCalifornia Highway Patrol Sgt. who now lives in Kingsport. The days are gonewhen ... **editor'snote -the common DUI DWI is not mentioned once in this article. 11/5/2005 - CRITICIZING'zero tolerance' for DUIs is nonsense DailyPress - Newport News,VA,USA ... breath, her speech, any redness of her eyes, herability to performstandard field sobriety tests and the result of the preliminary breathtest taken at the ... 11/4/2005 - LEGALIZEDRUNK DRIVING FreeMarket News Network - PompanoBeach,FL,USA ... ransom note. Now the feds declare that ablood-alcohol level of0.08 percent and above is criminal and must be severely punished. The... Past News Stories Here sitemap RSSFeeds NewAttorney Listings - Begin Here Onlyqualifiedlawyers are selected to become members of this prestigious directory ( Back to Top of Page ) (to payannual listing dues, please usePayPal below) Alllawyers, attorneys andlaw firms listed are responsible for their advertising. Before hiringany professional, please check them out with your local State BarAssociation or Better Business Bureau. DUI-Help.com is solely adirectory similar to any telephone book. We have no control of theprofessional's administration of legal duties in your case. 1996-2006© DUI-Help.com. All rights reserved. Alexa Report at the National SafetyCouncil Drug ImpairedDriving How Good Drivers Get Killed , a special report fromReader's Digest We hope you never get arrested for drinkingand driving. Read on ... 1998 HEADLINE DUI-Help.combecomes 1st niche drunk driving defense website on the internet. Firsttooffer free consultations by email, call back, or CGI form. DUI-Help.comout performs LegalMatch, Findlaw, LawInfo and all others in drunkdriving defenseassistance to the public. HAVE LAWYER CALL YOU A.C.L.U.Police Bust Card available Policeabuse is a serious national problem -- and one that especially affectsyoung people and people of color. While many police officers do striveto be courteous, and while we all understand the stress and dangerinvolved in policing, each of us has the right to be treated withrespect -- and without abuse -- by the police ... FULL ACLUPAGE - Download Card OurBookstore will help you find the best defense literature for your case. BOOKSTORE MADD-NESS & Money Get Your Own Breathalyzer! LawyersElsewhere 500+DUI law firms CA'sDUI-Clinic.org DUI-Help-CA.com 1-800-Dial-DUI.com drunkdrivingdefense.com dui-dwi.com 1800DUIlaws.com PLAYTIME IsYour Mugshot on the Web ? Do You Need a Degreein Drinking Alcohol ? if you have alawyer, you need to get your mind off your arrest. Check outCalifornia's Vacation Wonderland Monte-Rio.info Monster Swap Links



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