DWI Police Testimony
Are you facing a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge? It would be wise to contact a skilled defense attorney if you hope to fight your charges. DWI laws are extremely complex; therefore, it is important to hire an attorney who focuses his or her practice exclusively on DWI defense.In a DWI trial, it is likely that the prosecution will have DWI police testimony to use against you. Dealing with a police witness can be difficult—unlike a regular witness, the officer is more comfortable in a courtroom setting and familiar with being questioned on the stand. The jury may also be impressed with the officer’s authority and willing to take what he or she says at face value. Only an experienced defense attorney can be prepared to deal with the officer during cross-examination.
There are several ways that a defense attorney can handle the DWI police testimony. The first is to question the officer’s experience and qualifications. Your attorney may question the officer regarding his or her training on field sobriety tests or chemical testing. If your attorney can show that the officer did not administer the tests correctly or was not trained properly, it can throw the evidence against you into question. Likewise if the officer failed to follow certain procedures, such as conducting a 20-minute observation period before administering the breath test.
Your attorney may also bring up the observations that the officer made on the night of your DWI arrest. For example, if the officer believed you were intoxicated due to bloodshot eyes, your attorney may argue that it was allergies or fatigue that led to your appearance.
When a police officer pulls someone over on suspicion of DWI, many times he or she already believes the suspect is guilty. This belief is then reflected when the officer grades the subjective field sobriety tests. By establishing that the officer already believed you were guilty when you were pulled over, your attorney may show that you were not treated fairly during the arrest process.
To begin fighting your DWI charges, contact an experienced DWI defense law firm in your area today!
