Greenville, SC -- (SBWire) -- 12/17/2015 --Certainly no one will argue DUI is a serious problem in today's society and should be dealt with appropriately, however, the standardized field sobriety tests used to determine a person's intoxication level have come under attack for their lack of accuracy in determining an accused's sobriety. According to a recent experiment conducted by Dr. Spurgeon Cole of Clemson University, 14 officers were shown video tapes of subjects taking six common sobriety tests to determine which had consumed too much to drink and drive. On average, the officers determined 46% of of the subjects were legally intoxicated; in fact, 0 were.
With these glaring errors in mind, DUI Attorney John Bateman is now teaching a continuing legal education course on "DWI Detection & Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST)". According to Bateman, the course is sorely needed by attorneys to help them overcome tests which truly have little to no scientific basis. Bateman states student will learn how officers are trained to administer and interpret Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk & Turn, and the One Leg Stand. Additionally, two live alcohol workshops are conducted, so the participants will be able to administer the SFST, as well as observe true physical reactions.
Says Bateman, "The accused driver is understandably nervous and tired when pulled over and forced to perform three tasks which amount to one medical diagnosis by an unlicensed physician and two balance tricks. Unsurprisingly, drivers often do not perform up to NHTSA standards, resulting in DUI charges. There are very serious consequences to DUI, right from the very beginning, both personally, legally and professionally to an individual, so it's important for attorneys to Learn More about the tests affecting their clients, allowing for a thorough and complete representation."
Bateman goes on to explain, "Police officers are simply not trained in physiology, pharmacology or drug interactions. Instead, all they look for are specific common symptoms like features of the eyes, slurred speech and balance problems. There should be far more scientific methods from which to base a DUI charge that could alter the course of a person's life."
About Bateman Law Firm
As a former Army JAG prosecutor, John Bateman is experienced prosecuting criminal conduct at court-martials at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. John was also sworn as a Special Assistant United States Attorney and was tasked with trying civilian traffic offenses including DUI, DUS, and speeding tickets in federal district court. Since opening his own practice, he has aggressively fought to bring cutting edge DUI defense techniques to his clients, and in many cases in many circumstances, has had more training on DUI enforcement than the arresting officer on a case, and he can bring that experience to his client's defense.
