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At The Blitch Law Firm, our attorneys have handled numerous cases where the results and reliability of Georgia’s field sobriety tests used in DUI arrests have been questioned. When a driver is stopped and suspected of driving under the influence in Georgia, police officers usually perform a test or a series of tests to see if the driver is impaired. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a set of three tests known as the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) that most law enforcement agencies use today.
The Blitch Law Firm can challenge the validity of these tests in your DUI case. You can rely on us to gather extensive evidence during a thorough investigation and build a strong defense for you.
Call us at (706) 434-8770 or contact us online to get started.
The SFST consists of the following tests:
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)
The HGN test measures the responses of a subject’s eyes as they follow an object, such as a pen held by the officer, from side to side. Eyes will naturally jerk as they follow an object, but when impaired by alcohol, this jerking is more pronounced. A person who is not impaired will follow the object with minimal jerking. However, someone impaired by alcohol will struggle to follow the object smoothly. If an officer notices this and other slight irregularities, they assume can be considered clues of impairment.
One Leg Stand (OLS)
The one-leg stand test checks a person’s balance. The officer will ask the person to stand with one foot on the ground and the other about 6 inches off the ground. The person is asked to count aloud by thousands until told to stop. The officer times this for up to 30 seconds and looks for four indicators: swaying, using arms for balance, hopping, and putting the foot down early. If the person shows any of these signs, they can be considered clues of impairment.
Walk & Turn (WAT)
The walk-and-turn test requires a person to listen to instructions and perform a physical movement. It assumes that impaired individuals cannot listen and move simultaneously. The person is asked to walk nine steps, heel to toe, in a straight line, turn, and return in the same way. If the person makes mistakes such as starting early, stopping to balance, stepping off the line, taking the wrong number of steps, turning incorrectly, or not touching heel to toe, they can be considered clues of impairment.
Other Tests Include:
- Preliminary Breath Test (PBT): This initial test gauges if a driver’s blood-alcohol level is at or above the legal limit of .08. This is a handheld breath test given by the officer at the scene and IS NOT the State’s official test.
- Romberg Test: The driver is asked to count to 30 with their head back and eyes closed. The Romberg test assesses a person’s balance, coordination, and ability to estimate time, which can help determine impairment due to alcohol or drugs.
- Lack of Convergence Test: The officer holds an object (like a pen) 12-15 inches from the driver and asks them to track its movements. The lack of convergence test evaluates whether a person’s eyes can move together and converge on an object, which may indicate impairment due to alcohol, drugs, or other substances.
If you, a family member, or a close friend faces criminal charges, contact The Blitch Law Firm today at 706-434-8770 or visit us at 7004 Evans Town Center Blvd., Third Floor, Evans, Georgia 30809 to discuss your particular case and our creative defense strategies with one of our experienced criminal defense attorneys. Nearly all the attorneys at The Blitch Law Firm are former Assistant District Attorneys, so our unique insight on how the prosecution approaches cases equips us with the ability to We fight for you, and we don’t back down. Every criminal charge holds potentially life-altering consequences. We don’t hold back on providing our clients the best possible criminal defense available.
CALL THE Blitch Law Firm ATTORNEYS AT LAW TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR CASE.
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