Beating a drunk driving case after failing field sobriety tests

Police officers generally gather several different types of evidence to support their claims of impaired driving. Oftentimes, chemical test results are a major part of the state’s case. However, field sobriety test results can also play an important role in an individual’s prosecution.

In some cases, the main reason the state intends to prosecute a driver is that they performed poorly on field sobriety test results. They may not have been over the legal limit, but their conduct during testing makes it seem like they weren’t capable of driving safely.

While many people rush to plead guilty in such cases out of hopes of mitigating the worst consequences possible after a conviction, others choose to fight their charges by exploring what led to the failed field sobriety test.

How can drivers who performed poorly on field sobriety tests avoid a criminal conviction for drunk driving?

With a medical explanation

Many times, those accused of impairment based on field sobriety test results have medical conditions that explain their test performance. Perhaps they have a neurological condition that affects their fine motor control or sense of balance.

Maybe they have an anxiety disorder that flares up when dealing with law enforcement professionals and others with legal authority over them. Drivers with pre-existing medical records affirming certain types of conditions may be able to raise questions about whether their field sobriety test results actually serve as proof of chemical impairments.

With procedural challenge

There are a variety of procedural issues that can limit the usefulness of field sobriety test results. Maybe a police officer didn’t have a valid reason to pull a driver over initially. Any evidence gathered during an illegal traffic stop may become inadmissible in court.

Perhaps the police officer did not administer the three standardized field sobriety tests but instead came up with their own creative tests. Perhaps they didn’t record video footage of the test and can only testify about what happened. Small mistakes by the police officer could lead to the test results being inadmissible at trial.

Drivers who perform poorly on field sobriety tests can still potentially avoid a drunk driving conviction. Talking about factors that may have compromised test accuracy with a skilled legal team can help people evaluate their defense options.