During a DUI traffic stop or after an arrest, police may use several tests to gauge a driver’s level of impairment. Naturally, many people worry that performing badly on one of these tests means a conviction is certain. However, this is not always the case. A skilled Will County, IL DUI defense lawyer can review police procedures and potentially highlight issues in the testing methods.
As a mid-size law firm with over 150 years of combined experience, our attorneys are ready to provide you with aggressive representation in a DUI case. At McNamara Phelan McSteen, LLC, we can go over the details in your case to see if evidence can be challenged, questioned, or excluded altogether.
Are Field Sobriety Tests Really Objective?
When an Illinois police officer pulls someone over on suspicion of drunk driving, field sobriety tests are often one of the first tools they use. These tests are designed to measure balance, coordination, and the ability to follow directions. The three most common are the walk-and-turn, the one-leg stand, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Law enforcement presents these tests as reliable indicators of impairment, but that framing deserves a closer look.