Defense Against Blood Tests

What is blood alcohol content? When you are pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence in Florida, that question has three possible answers, depending on how the law enforcement officer attempts to determine your sobriety. First, he will probably ask you to take a field sobriety test, placing one foot in front of the other in exact fashion and touching your nose with your fingertip. The problem with field sobriety tests is that they do not measure your BAC or anything else. It is a subjective test – you pass or fail based on the officer’s opinion. If the officer believes you have been drinking, it is unlikely that any feat you accomplish during a field sobriety test will change the officer’s mind.

Florida measures a driver’s BAC in two other ways, with the breathalyzer machine, the Intoxilyzer 8000, and by blood-testing. As a general rule, blood-testing gives the most accurate results, but it is certainly not foolproof. The experience of the technician drawing your blood can make a difference. If the technician is not experienced, this can contribute to a false result. Your blood sample must be combined with anticoagulants. If this step is overlooked, it can cause inaccurate results. The technician may not have sterilized the draw site properly, or something might have occurred after your blood was drawn to interfere with its chain of custody. In any one of these situations, you could be falsely accused of a DUI.

If you have taken a blood test and the results indicated you were driving under the influence, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. The attorneys at Katz & Phillips have successfully defended clients against DUI charges for many years. We know all the ways in which the state’s case against you might be wrong. We will investigate every aspect of the charges you are facing and work hard to get you acquitted. We can mitigate the damage to your life, from fines you will have to pay to the length of time you will lose your vehicle and your driving privileges. Call the attorneys at Katz & Phillips today so we can begin defending you and your rights today.