According to state laws you are under no legal obligation to perform any of the standardized field sobriety tests a law enforcement officer may want you to take after he or she pulls you over for a suspected DUI. Field sobriety tests are used by law enforcement to help confirm their suspicions and establish probable cause to place an individual under arrest for driving under the influence. These types of tests are relatively subjective and, unless properly conducted under very exacting conditions, the results are often inaccurate and unreliable. The standard field sobriety tests administered by law enforcement officers in and around the Knoxville area are the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, the One-Leg Stand and the Walk-and-Turn Test.
There are additional tests an officer may use in an attempt to prove that you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but the above three tests are the primary tests used to test sobriety in the field. If an officer is unable to conduct a field sobriety test, he or she may not have sufficient grounds to warrant your arrest. If you are placed under arrest after failing a field sobriety test, we strongly advise you hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer from Robert R. Kurtz, Attorney at Law. There are numerous defenses our firm can use to challenge your test results and help get your case dismissed. Your age, your weight, your physical and mental health, existing medical conditions, fear and various external factors are all contributing factors that may affect field sobriety test results.
Having a lawyer on your side who has a proven success record for challenging the results of field sobriety tests, has a 10.0 Superb Rating from Avvo and is devoted to doing everything possible to help you retain your freedom, will have a direct impact on the outcome of your case. The lawyers at our firm are devoted to the practice of criminal law and to seeing that our clients obtain the results they seek. We are committed to helping you move past this time in your life by providing you with compelling defense strategy you need to help you avoid a criminal conviction and the penalties that go with it. Contact a Knoxville criminal defense lawyer at our firm now to get started.