Snohomish County DUI Breath & Blood Test Attorneys

Challenging the Results of Snohomish County Chemical Sobriety Tests

Once a DUI suspect is brought to the station, they’re subjected to a mandatory blood or breath test to measure their blood alcohol content. This supposedly scientific procedure is the lynchpin of the state’s DUI case. If you test above .08 BAC (.04 for CDL holders or .02 if you’re underage), you’ll almost certainly face DUI charges.

Refusing these tests is illegal under Washington’s implied consent law, which means refusing to take the test will trigger a year-long license suspension—even if you’re not found guilty of DUI. Understandably, most people in this situation submit to the blood or breath test. If they test above the legal limit, suspects consider themselves as good as convicted.

But our Snohomish County blood and breath test attorneys know our clients have more hope than they realize.

Whether you’ve submitted to a mandatory blood or breath test or are debating refusal, call DUIHeroes at 1–800-DUI-HERO for a free consultation.

Are Breath & Blood Tests in Snohomish County Always Correct?

While breath and blood tests are commonly believed to provide inconclusive evidence, this is not the case. Both tests are subject to erroneous results for a variety of reasons. A breath test’s accuracy depends on being correctly calibrated and properly administered. If the equipment is malfunctioning, it may give a false reading. That’s why understanding the testing equipment used by a given police department is key for the nation’s leading DUI attorneys.

For instance, Snohomish County breath tests are typically administered using Draeger breath testing machines. Our training and experience means we know the Draeger is rife with sources of error that can come from basic science or the specifics of your case. Sometimes even certain illnesses or conditions affect the machine’s accuracy. It is vital that your Snohomish County breath & blood tests attorney knows how to mount these challenges.

Blood tests have a similar potential for error. If a blood sample is mishandled, its results are compromised and the integrity of the test can be challenged in court. It must also be confirmed to include the correct ratio of certain ingredients in the blood, or else it gives misleading results. Other human errors can cause inaccurate results. For these reasons, an independent laboratory should always be used to check the initial findings.

Even if you apparently failed these tests, don’t give up hope. Contact DUIHeroes right away so we can verify ways the evidence against you can be challenged. If these factors are not thoroughly investigated, the state will be freed to commit an injustice that could shape the rest of your life.

Implications for Your DOL Hearing

These sources of error not only strengthen your defense in court but also help with a DOL hearing. Don’t forget that you only have one week from the date of your arrest to act on the DOL paperwork. It’s vital that you send this in properly. Call us now for your free consultation so we can start helping you through the process and protecting your rights.

Why You Should Challenge DUI Breath Tests

Breathalyzers are used by law enforcement officials to determine a suspected drunk driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) level to establish probable cause, make an arrest, and gather evidence of intoxication to be used against the individual in court. The results from these devices hold significant power within the criminal justice system and are treated as indisputable evidence by juries throughout the country.

However, according to an article in The New York Times, many people are wrongfully convicted based on the results of these faulty tests. Over 100 attorneys, police officers, scientists, and executives were interviewed for this story and tens of thousands of pages of court records, confidential e-mails, and other documents were reviewed to reveal that these ‘highly sensitive’ machines are often not properly calibrated and maintained, producing results that were sometimes 40 percent higher than they should be.

Based on The Times report, the following are several reasons why you should challenge the results of the breath test:

• Skewed results: From calibration and other human errors to lack of maintenance at some labs, these tests cannot always be trusted. The New York Times reported that judges in Massachusetts and New Jersey have suppressed over 30,000 breath tests in the past year due to such mistakes.
• Refusing to take a test can result in administrative and/or criminal penalties: In Washington and many states throughout the country, implied consent laws can lead to driver’s license suspension and other penalties if a driver refuses to take a post-arrest breath test. Even though a breath testing device has issues that affect the results, police officers believe they are sound.
• Flawed test results can set dangerous drivers free: When the courts discover an error, the correctable action is typically dismissing the questionable results. However, this can weaken otherwise strong cases against dangerous drivers.
• Challenging inaccurate breath tests have been successful: Every breath test conducted within the past eight years in Massachusetts was thrown out because a group of defense lawyers joined forces to help their clients challenge the results.

Defense for Breath & Blood Test Results in Snohomish County, WA

We understand that facing a DUI charge is a very unsettling experience. You can rest assured that we will do everything we can to defend your rights and pursue a positive outcome in your case. An investigation of breath and blood tests leads to the discovery of information that benefits a client in more cases than you might assume.

Founding Attorney Jonathan Dichter specializes in DUI and is a trained and qualified instructor in DUI investigation and field sobriety testing. He is a Faculty Member and State Delegate for the National College for DUI Defense, an organization made exclusively of leading DUI defense attorneys, and he has completed and instructed courses developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Jonathan also works with a network of investigators and expert witnesses, which assists us in building strong and thorough DUI defenses.

Contact Snohomish County breath and blood test lawyers at 1–800-DUI-HERO for a review of the validity of the breath and blood tests taken in your DUI case.