Search Results for: BREATH TEST

Just as Hollywood has produced some good movies in trilogies, the United States Supreme Court has produced some good case law in trilogies. The Court addressed the right to confront crime lab analysts with the trinity of Bullcoming, Melendez-Diaz and Williams. On the issue of the need for a warrant to draw blood from a […]

Joe was arrested for DUI / OVI, and the officer had Joe take a breath test and a urine test.  The breath test showed an alcohol level under Ohio’s limit, and the urine test showed an alcohol level over Ohio’s limit.  Based on the urine test result, Joe was prosecuted for operating a vehicle with […]

  What should we do with repeat DUI/OVI offenders? On one hand, we want them to be rehabilitated, and we want them to be employed, which usually requires driving. On the other hand, we want to punish them and protect the public from the risk of harm they create. In Ohio, to protect the public […]

Standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) are administered in nearly every DUI/OVI case in Columbus and central Ohio. A previous post in this blog analyzed the standard for admitting the tests as evidence in court: the SFSTS must be administered in substantial compliance with the officers’ training manual for the tests to be admissible. A recent […]

In a previous post, this blog questioned whether police should be able to draw blood against your will without a search warrant. At that time, oral arguments had recently been held in the case of Missouri v. McNeely. A few days ago, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the McNeely case. Based […]

There are rules for blood testing, and they aren’t new. If the prosecution wants to admit a blood test as evidence in an Ohio O.V.I./D.U.I. case, the prosecution has to prove certain procedures were followed for the blood test. A few days ago, an Ohio court of appeals held that the procedures weren’t followed, so […]

Suddenly, there are flashing lights in your rear-view mirror. ‘What did I do?’ The officer slowly approaches your window. “Good evening. I noticed you had some trouble staying in your lane back there. I need to see your license, registration, and proof of insurance.” The nervousness makes it nearly impossible to get that stupid license […]

Standardized field sobriety tests are administered in nearly every OVI (DUI) case in central Ohio. But what it the standard for admitting the field sobriety tests as evidence in an OVI (DUI) trial? To answer this question, we must look at decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court, legislation by the Ohio General Assembly, and the […]

Imagine that the police show up at your door and want to search your house. If you don’t consent, the police can’t search without a warrant or an applicable exception to the warrant requirement. Refusing to consent to a search is not ordinarily a criminal offense. In a recent case from the Ohio Supreme Court, […]

You probably have heard of the Breathalyzer, but probably not the Brushalyser.  Now you have.  The Brushalyser is at the intersection of oral hygiene and traffic safety:  it’s a toothbrush which doubles as a portable breath alcohol test.  But should you rely on your toothbrush to determine whether it’s safe for you to drive?

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