Breathalyzer Testing at Stamford DUI Stops

Juries take field sobriety testing very seriously when it is presented in court. Their reliability can sometimes be questioned by an expert, but these tests usually, along with the breathalyzer, are important.

To best understand the role of a breathalyzer in your Stamford DUI charge, it is imperative to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. An experienced DUI attorney in Stamford can help to discount the result of your breathalyzer test and assist in reducing any potential penalties that may result from the charge.

Field Sobriety Tests

Typically, law enforcement officers in Stamford use field sobriety tests the standard as they were instructed in training. They rarely deviate from that.

A person can refuse to perform field sobriety tests in Stamford at any point. If there is a medical issue that is present or the individual just does not feel comfortable doing it, they can refuse.

However, the officer can still arrest the person for probable cause if they have other reasons to think that they are intoxicated. Although they have the right to refuse, people should know that if they choose to take it, the results are going to be used against them.

Reliability of Breathalyzers

Breathalyzer testing during a Stamford DUI stop often produces reliable results.

Law enforcement also has a special protocol that needs to be followed. If the officers follow that protocol, then the test results are considered reliable.

Police officers continue to rely on breathalyzer testing during Stamford DUI stops because when they are used correctly, they are fairly accurate. The issues that come up are typically user error.

In order to keep the breathalyzer results reliable, the machines need to be calibrated. This typically needs to be done every six months, and if it is not, it is something that can be brought up at trial. This can be used to show that the machine is actually inaccurate.

Common Misconceptions

One common misconception about breathalyzer testing during a Stamford DUI stop include that the person can beat the test.

There are some urban myths that a person can put a penny in their mouth or can use mouthwash to beat the test, but the Stamford police officers have procedures that do their best to prevent against someone attempting to beat the test.

False Positives

False positives can happen if the person is continually burping before they take the test, for one. That will increase the alcohol content in their mouth and can produce a false reading.

Further, if a person has recently used some sort of mouthwash or recently had a drink, the machine can produce a false positive. That is why when law enforcement administers the breathalyzers, they have to be after a certain amount of monitoring to make sure that the person has not done any of those things.

Challenging the Results
If the person has reason to believe that the breathalyzers are inaccurate or the results are wrong, they can ask the court to suppress the evidence and keep it away from the jury for the trial.