| Choosing the right DUI lawyer may be the most | | | | Any attorney defending drunk driving cases needs to |
| important decision you make in your drunk driving case. | | | | be an expert on Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. |
| Too many lawyers think that they can just jump right | | | | With these manuals, a knowledgeable DUI lawyer can |
| into defending DUI cases without first studying the | | | | show that many officers simply do not perform the |
| complexities and nuances of DUI law. In fact there are | | | | standardized field sobriety tests under optimal |
| many materials that an attorney will want to obtain and | | | | conditions which can drastically throw off the reliability |
| study in great depth before handling a drunk driving | | | | of the tests. Many people charged with drunk driving |
| case. Before hiring a California DUI attorney make sure | | | | may not show any signs of intoxication yet still "fail" the |
| that he or she has the following three items. If the | | | | tests. You need a DUI lawyer who has the training |
| attorney does not have these items, run away! | | | | manuals and understands these tests better than the |
| 1. Drunk Driving Defense by Lawrence Taylor. This is | | | | officer that arrested you for DUI. Without these |
| the "bible" of DUI defense. Lawrence Taylor is | | | | manuals an attorney simply cannot effectively cross |
| probably the most respected DUI attorney in the | | | | examine the officer about these tests. |
| United States. His book, Drunk Driving Defense, is a | | | | 3. Intoximeter/Breathalyzer Manual - Your attorney |
| must for any attorney defending drunk driving cases. It | | | | should have the manual for the operation and use of |
| lays out the major defenses that may be available to | | | | the breathalyzer machine that is used in your case. |
| you in your case. If your attorney has this book then | | | | Machines can and do break down. And sometimes |
| he or she is probably serious DUI attorney and not | | | | they simply are not operated correctly by the officer |
| someone just dabbling in this area of the law. On the | | | | administering the breathalyzer. Your attorney needs to |
| other hand, if your attorney only knows Lawrence | | | | understand how the breathalyzer in your case works, |
| Taylor as a former Philadelphia Eagle then find another | | | | so that they know if and how the reliability of the |
| lawyer | | | | machine can be attacked for your defense. When an |
| 2. Training Manuals for Standardized Field Sobriety | | | | attorney can attack both the standardized field |
| Tests. These manuals include the NHTSA manual and | | | | sobriety tests and the breathalyzer, then that attorney |
| your state manual for training law enforcement | | | | will be successful when the average attorney would |
| officers in conducting standardized field sobriety tests. | | | | get beat. |