Challenge Field Sobriety Test Results in a Texas DWI
When facing DWI charges in Texas, it is important not to give in to defeat. A conviction for drunk driving is serious and will have a lasting effect on your future, even if it was your first offense. There are effective methods to challenge the evidence in order to get the case dismissed or a returned not guilty verdict.
The Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker has unmatched success in defending clients facing DWI charges in Dallas County, Denton County, and Collin County, Texas. View some of the firm's results.
Founding attorney Kimberly Griffin Tucker focuses her DWI defense practice on avoiding convictions — period. Her DWI defense philosophy is that if you plead, you lose. In order to prepare a DWI defense for trial, she meticulously investigates all aspects of the DWI arrest and the evidence collected, such as the results of field sobriety tests.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has approved Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST) that officers must comply with explicitly in order for the results to be upheld. These standardized field sobriety tests include:
- Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)
- Nine Step Walk and Turn
- One Legged Stand
Clear Understanding of Field Sobriety Tests
When you are pulled over and suspected of drunk driving, you will likely be asked to submit to a number of field sobriety tests. The results of the field sobriety tests will be used to strengthen the case against you in order to obtain a conviction. However, if the officer administered non-standardized tests or administered the tests improperly, the evidence may be eliminated from the case. Therefore, an experienced criminal defense lawyer will meticulously analyze all aspects of the field sobriety test in order to get the results dismissed from the record.
The Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker uses field sobriety test experts (including a former police officer certified in field sobriety testing) when necessary to testify regarding the unreliability of certain field sobriety tests and the impact of a poorly administered test. In addition to experts, Mrs. Tucker holds a NHTSA/IACP Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Certificate (meaning she has undergone the same training and certification as the officers administering the test). This training has given her a clear understanding of how tests are conducted and scored. It has also educated her on how these tests can provide inaccurate results.
The firm's thorough investigation and preparation includes reviewing the DWI tapes of the test, reviewing the officer's training credentials and assessing other factors that may have influenced the test and other information.
A successful challenge of field sobriety test results can weaken the case against you and even get the case dismissed. A "failed" roadside test does not necessarily mean you will be convicted. Contact the Law Office of Kimberly Griffin Tucker to discuss your DWI/DUI defense strategy.
Learn more about the Hidden Cost of a DWI and DWI Conviction.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, please be sure to let Mrs. Tucker's office know.
