Portland Sobriety Tests

Field Sobriety Tests in Portland

When pulled over by a law enforcement officer in Oregon, you may be asked to perform a field sobriety test. There are three types of field sobriety tests that have been approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

The one-leg stand test is where you may be asked to stand on one leg for 30 seconds. While this seems simple enough, may people with a leg, back or balance issues can find this test extraordinarily difficult.
The walk and turn test involves taking nine steps down a line, either real or imagined, and then turning and taking nine steps back. You will also be asked to count out the steps. Any deviation or error will result in a test failure. Aside from the obvious physical issues which can affect any results, performing this test on the side of a busy road under duress is not easy. Many times the officer does not properly explain how the test works leading to an alleged failure.
The horizontal gaze nystagmus test is conducted by an officer asking you to follow a finger or other object with your eyes looking for any variations or bouncing in eye movement. The problem is that this test is difficult to effectively carry out and even if an officer follows correct procedure, there are often other factors that can impact eye movement such as passing traffic or the flashing lights of the police car.

If law enforcement feels that they have established a failure in field sobriety testing, they will likely then employ either a blood or breath test to determine your blood alcohol content, or BAC. A BAC of between .08 % and .15 % results in DUI charges. A BAC of over .15 % can result in more serious DUI charges. The Intoxilyzer device is used to measure BAC based on a breath sample. These machines are very sensitive and require constant calibration. Experienced Portland DUI attorney Donald J. Molnar understands how these tests and machines work and may be able to challenge the results and seek a dismissal of your DUI charges.

Portland DUI Defense Lawyer

The Law Office of Donald J. Molnar has the experience and resources you need to feel confident that you are being fully represented by a skilled attorney that will aggressively fight to defend your rights. Our firm will immediately begin a thorough investigation of the circumstances of your case to determine if your field sobriety test was properly conducted. Attorney Donald Molnar is trained and certified in the administration of field sobriety testing by the NHTSA. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Mastering Scientific Evidence in DUI cases taught by the country's leading experts. It is important to contact us right away to help you determine a strategy for victory in your DUI case. We may be able to assist you in achieving optimum results.

Contact a Portland DUI lawyer from our knowledgeable firm without delay so that we can help you determine if your rights were violated by a faulty sobriety test.