DUI cases involving prescription drugs are often dependent on an officer’s subjective assessment of the driver’s intoxication.
Police officers often initiate traffic stops for minor traffic violations in order to speak with the driver of the vehicle and look for signs of intoxication. When faced with a drug DUI in Washington, contact the Seattle DUI Lawyers at SQ Attorneys.
If an officer detects an odor of alcohol when interviewing the driver, field sobriety and breathalyzer tests are likely forthcoming. Field sobriety tests are often administered incorrectly and the results can be skewed by an officer’s preconceived notions about a driver’s sobriety. In most cases, the field sobriety tests create further suspicion and the driver is taken to the police station for blood testing or urinalysis. The Washington DUI Attorney at SQ Attorneys, can navigate through the criminal justice system and get the best results for you.
What if an officer suspects a driver of driving under the influence of prescription drugs? Objective indications of drug intoxication are less apparent than some external suggestions of drunkenness. Police and highway patrol do not have well-developed methods for testing a person for Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Oxycodone, Percocet or other opiates. Quantifying the amount of a substance is ultimately crucial to providing legal proof that the suspect was operating an automobile while in an impaired state. A DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) is needed to process the drug DUI in Washington.
As in all criminal matters, DUI prosecutors must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. An objective measure of a driver’s blood-alcohol content can be held up against the statutory threshold of intoxication (in Washington, that means .08 percent or above). Other drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine are subject to assessment of metabolites and other quantifiable measures. But so-called drugged driving cases involving prescription drugs are often more dependent on an officer’s subjective observations of the driver’s condition.
A Seattle DUI attorney job in any intoxicated driving case is to protect the client by holding the prosecution to their burden of proof. One important strategy is to closely review the officer’s report of field sobriety test administration and look for indications that the tests were improperly conducted or subject to distractions. Many times, the drugs a driver is accused of abusing were legally prescribed by a physician and were taken for legitimate ailments. Even in cases where the prosecution has objective evidence of a driver’s intake of a prescription drug, an attorney may be able to convince the court that a driver’s ability was not seriously affected.
If you or a loved one is faced with a DUI charge in Western Washington, you deserve the assistance of a reputable and qualified Seattle DUI attorney who will relentlessly defend your case. You deserve a Seattle DUI lawyer who has an intimate understanding of Washington DUI laws and the legal issues that could win your case. You deserve a Seattle DUI attorney who is not afraid to stand up against the prosecution and aggressively fight for your rights and interests. SQ Attorneys is the right Western Washington DUI law firm for the job. Call for a free initial consultation – (206) 441.0900 (Seattle); (425) 998-8384 (Eastside) – it will be the best decision you make all day.