DWI / DUI
If humans input data into a machine, the Confrontation Clause is implicated
This month, a two-judge majority of the Fourth Circuit decided that an expert witness may testify in criminal court about the machine-generated results of raw data about drugs in a defendant’s blood, without necessitating the presence of the technician who operated the machine. The case...
Converting a drunk driving charge to a speeding conviction
Here is a recent example of the necessity for fully preparing well in advance for trial, for being fearless about proceeding to trial, and for using time as a commodity in negotiations. This approach is needed for all trials, both large and smaller; the following example...
Field Sobriety Tests – Junk Science
Field sobrity tests (FST’s) for drunk driving stops are junk science. Administration of the FST’s are often preceded by the following alleged circumstances, as often parroted back in police report LawEnforcement-ese: “Upon approaching the subject, I immediately detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the subject’s...