Police Officers Can Make DWI Mistakes
With over 4,000 Austin DWI arrests each year, police officers are bound to make mistakes every now and then. Experienced DWI lawyers have the knowledge and skills to identify these common mistakes and use them to help you in your DWI case. Most lawyers can tell you about some of these common DWI mistakes.
First, DWI officers will commonly infer that erratic driving behavior is directly correlated to alcohol consumption. However, this is not always the case. In some instances a DWI lawyer can show that erratic driving may have been from reaching for a cell phone, or iPod, rather than intoxication. Similarly, DWI lawyers can sometimes prove that the smell of alcohol on a defendant is not from the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but rather from something benign like mouthwash or from a spilled beverage. Mistakes like these may give the DWI officer faulty probable cause to arrest you for a DWI. Remember, that if you are being falsely accused, the field and breath tests are not designed to prove your innocence. Taking these tests will not un-arrest you, but rather go towards showing that you are guilty of a DWI in Austin, Texas.
Another common mistake by DWI officers is improper administration of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). An experienced DWI lawyer in Austin is well versed in the proper standards and techniques for administering the SFST test as any deviation from these standards could invalidate the results of the test and help your case. For example, there are a surprising number of individuals who cannot pass these tests without ANY alcohol in their systems. As such, DWI officers are required to identify and disqualify persons who cannot physically pass the SFST. Additionally, most DWI lawyers in Austin will tell you that proper administration of the SFST test requires that the officer remove all distractions such as flashing lights, loose gravel or debris on the road, or environmental factors like wind gusts or wet conditions.
There are many other SFST standard practices that good DWI lawyers understand. Improper instructions, during both the instructional or administrative phase, as outlined by the NHTSA manual, can compromise the validity of a SFST test. Further more, administering the SFST tests in the improper order, as designated by the NHTSA, can compromise the validity and strengthen your position to mitigate or avoid penalties associated with your DWI arrest in Austin, Texas.
Remember, when it comes to DWI arrests in Austin, know your rights. If you are asked an incriminating question, politely inform the DWI officer that you respectfully decline to answer without consultation from your attorney in Austin, Texas: Kyle Lowe.
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