Breathalyzers in Frederick DUI Cases
Breathalyzers are considered reliable instruments. Breathalyzer tests are considered very strong pieces of evidence in the court system even though the scientific validity of them has been successfully challenged by many court systems. Talk to a skilled Frederick DUI attorney for more on breathalyzers and the various ways that they may be challenged in your DUI case.
Common Misconceptions About Breathalyzers
Breathalyzer tests in Frederick County DUI cases are considered strong pieces of evidence. A common misconception that people might have is believing that chewing a piece of gum or using mouthwash would, in some way, affect the breathalyzer test. That is true but usually, officers do an observation period where somebody has a clear mouth to make sure that there is nothing that is impacting the breath score other than blood alcohol content.
Ways Breathalyzers Can Result in False Positives
False positives can occur from improper calibration of the machine, improper maintenance, and certain medical conditions. For example, a person who suffers from celiac disease, GERD, or might have a tendency to belch a great deal might be giving false representations about their alcohol level to the machines. One should make sure that the officers know of any medical conditions that a person suffers from and also that they share that with their attorney so that they can subpoena the appropriate medical records to verify that. An attorney can call any expert witnesses that might need to be called to share with the finder-of-fact in court how those medical conditions might have necessarily impacted blood alcohol content level. Breathalyzers can result in false positives occasionally in Frederick DUI cases.
CHALLENGING BREATHALYZER IN COURT
People can challenge breathalyzer results in a Frederick DUI case and people challenge them all the time. It can be the machine, how it is calibrated, human error in terms of recording the results or in terms of administering the test. All are reasons for a proper challenge of the admissibility of a breathalyzer test.
What Else to Know
Breathalyzer tests in Frederick are important but they are not everything and, often, there are ways to keep results out of evidence. People should not think that just because they have given a breathalyzer test result that is over the legal limit they have lost the opportunity to give a full defense and even to win their case. There are many ways that a defense attorney can utilize or invalidate breathalyzer tests or keep them from being admissible. It is important to talk to somebody who is experienced in this area to make sure that a person is utilizing every avenue possible with arguments for breathalyzer tests in Frederick County DUI cases.
Hiring an Attorney
DUI lawyers are experienced in handling cases related to intoxication and driving. They know how the process works and can use that knowledge to the individual’s benefit. Contact a qualified attorney today.