If you were recently charged with a DUI, your St. Augustine DUI lawyers can help you determine whether your field sobriety test (FST) was conducted in accordance with modern standards, as well as whether your other constitutional procedure rights were upheld during the arrest and detention process. The results of a field sobriety test are admissible as circumstantial evidence of your intoxication while driving; however, they are not conclusive of your culpability. Therefore, St. Augustine DUI lawyers can advance fact-specific defenses on your behalf if there are certain factors of your case that may have resulted in altered FST results.
Improper Testing
Results of an FST that was conducted improperly have little value in determining your guilt or level of intoxication at the time of your arrest. One of the preliminary concerns involves the surrounding conditions at the time your test was administered. If you were asked to complete various tests in inclement weather, very late at night or in improper footwear, these factors could understandably skew the results. Your St. Augustine DUI lawyers will also review the location of the tests-for instance, was your test administered in a well-lit parking lot or on a dark, gravel back road?
Health Concerns as a Factor
In some cases, failing an FST can have nothing to do with intoxication. Physical health problems can contribute to the perception that a person is under the influence when in fact he or she is having difficulty performing the specific task due to an underlying disability or medical issue. Many of the FST tests, such as the balance test or walk-the-line test, are incredibly difficult for some to perform even sober.
The horizontal gaze nystagmus test is another component to the FST that many individuals struggle to complete regardless of intoxication. This test involves the test subject’s ability to follow a light with his or her eyes from left to right. Some people with ocular issues are unable to satisfactorily complete the horizontal gaze test due to issues completely unrelated to alcohol consumption. Your St. Augustine DUI attorneys can perform this test in the office during your intake meeting and help determine whether the results of this FST should be excluded at trial.
Contact Experienced St. Augustine DUI Lawyers Today
St. Augustine DUI lawyers can help defend your recent DUI charges. To make an appointment, please call the Attorneys at Canan Law at (904) 849-2266 today.
