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Field Sobriety Tests/Breathalyzer Testing

Washington State DUI Breathalyzer Test Defense Attorney

If the police have good reason to stop you on suspicion of driving drunk, they will likely ask you to perform a series of roadside tests designed to determine if you are driving under the influence. They can also ask you to take breathalyzer or blood test before you are arrested for DUI. Failed field sobriety tests and breath test results are the primary evidence that will be used to convict you.

At the criminal defense Law Offices of James Newton, PLLC, our DUI defense attorneys can effectively challenge all tests used to charge you with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. We urge people facing DUI convictions throughout the Seattle-Tacoma area and elsewhere in the state to contact us day or night, seven days a week.

Field Sobriety Tests

If you are stopped by police, you do not have to be over the legal limit to be arrested for DUI. Failed field sobriety tests can result in unfair charges. Standardized field sobriety test involve three exercises administered and evaluated by police in a consistent manner:

  • Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus - measures involuntary jerking movements of a driver's eyes as intoxicated people can have difficulty tracking a slow-moving object such as a pen or a flashlight passed back and forth about six inches or so in front of the face
  • Walk and Turn: measures a driver's balance and the ability to listen and following instructions by taking a specific number of heel-to-toe steps along a straight line, turning on one foot and returning in a similar fashion in the other direction
  • One-Leg Stand: also measures balance and capacity to follow instruction to stand with one foot six inches off the ground for 30 seconds, and count by thousands (1,001, 1,002,...) until instructed to lower the foot; swaying, using the arms, hopping or putting the raised foot down before being told, are supposed signs of intoxication

Our field sobriety test defense lawyers know how to fight failed field sobriety test results that can also occur for other reasons from fear or fatigue, to injury and known physical conditions. These tests are voluntary and state law does not require you to take them.

DUI breathalyzer defense

Breath test results are the most common and most often used evidence to convict someone of a DUI or drug crime. We challenge breathalyzer results in every DUI case we handle. Breath testing machines only estimate the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and require careful calibration and strict sample testing procedures and conditions in order to be accurate. Our office has been able to suppress the test results for many of our clients due to mistakes by police officers and state toxicologists. This has resulted in favorable resolutions for our clients, including dismissals and reduced charges.

Since it is a crime to operate a motor vehicle in Washington with a BAC of .08 or more, or even to be affected by alcohol with a lower BAC, and refusing to take a breath test or blowing over the legal limit can result in a driver's license suspension, our DUI defense attorneys aggressively attack breathalyzer test results that can result in conviction, or losing your drivers license.

Don't let failed field sobriety tests or DUI breathalyzer test ruin your life

One mistake or being in the wrong place at the wrong time doesn't have to lead to second mistake! Find representation by a skilled DUI defense attorney. Call toll free: 1-866-LAW-2345, or e-mail us as soon as possible. Our criminal defense attorneys defend adults and juveniles in the Seattle-Tacoma area and throughout the state.

The Law Offices of James Newton, PLLC
Seattle-Tacoma Attorneys at Law

At the Law Offices of James Newton, PLLC, in Kent, Washington, our criminal defense lawyers serve clients throughout the state of Washington, including Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia; South King County including Kent, Renton, and Auburn; and Eastside communities including Bellevue, Issaquah, and Kirkland. For felony cases, the attorneys travel statewide, handling criminal trials in both Washington State and federal courts.  View our Seattle personal injury lawyer website!