Rockville DUI Breathalyzer Tests

Prosecutors and law enforcement officials in Rockville often use breathalyzers to support their case against someone who has been charged with a DUI. Breathalyzer tests are often used after someone has been pulled over for suspicion of DUI. A police officer believes that a person might potentially be operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and will try and conduct a breathalyzer test in order to confirm their belief.

Breathalyzers are seen as very reliable instruments in Rockville, but there are many ways to challenge the results of a breathalyzer test, including determining whether or not the breathalyzer was properly calibrated, when the last time that it was maintained, and whether or not the officer who administered the Breathalyzer Test followed the proper protocol. There are a number of defenses that a Rockville DUI lawyer can raise as to the validity of the actual breathalyzer test that they administered.

Misconceptions About Rockville Breathalyzers

One of the most common misconceptions about a Breathalyzer Test is that it is always accurate. Breathalyzer Tests can be challenged in many ways, including their calibration and if the officer who gave you the Breathalyzer Test followed instructions while administering the test. Should the machine not be calibrated correctly or the administering Rockville police office made a mistake while giving you the test, there are grounds to get the results from the test dismissed from your case. These kinds of challenges can be raised by a DUI attorney who has experience in the Rockville court system on Breathalyzer issues.

False Positives or Inaccurate Scores

Although local law enforcement officials in Rockville hold breathalyzer test results in high regard during a DUI trial, there is the possibility that the results are inaccurate. False positives or inaccurately high BAC scores can come about if somebody had just rinsed their mouth out or they were chewing gum at the time the officer was administering the Breathalyzer Test. If someone has any remnants of alcohol in their mouth while taking the breathalyzer test, there is the chance the test could give an inaccurate reading. They can also come up because of medical issues like acid reflux that could impact the actual Breathalyzer results in a particular case. Perhaps most commonly, skewed results or problematic results occur if the person who is administering the test was not following proper protocols for how the test should be administered, therefore potentially skewing the results.

Why Government Officials Continue to Use Breathalyzers

Government experts in Rockville are aware of the issues with Breathalyzer machines. Like any machine, there are issues that can arise when using it. However, government officials do try their best to follow a protocol; they train their officers in what the proper protocol is for Breathalyzer machines, but are not always successful. There is human error with these kinds of machines, like with any other machines, so it gives a Rockville DUI lawyer plenty of opportunity to challenge them.

Challenging Breathalyzer Results in Rockville

You can challenge erroneous Breathalyzer Test results in court. There is always going to be an opportunity to cross examine the officer who administered the Breathalyzer Test to see whether proper protocol was followed and whether there were any errors that could have skewed the results. A Rockville judge will then determine whether or not the evidence is admissible or inadmissible in court.