Most of our Philadelphia readers probably think that DUI arrests are some of the most common that police make, and they may be right. There is no doubt that even though many states, including Pennsylvania, consider drinking and driving to be one of the main focuses of policing the nation’s roadways, there are still thousands of arrests made for DUI every month. However, what many people may not know is that when making these types of traffic stops and arrests, the police have a very specific set of procedures they must follow.

According to a recent report, state police in Pennsylvania made three DUI arrests across the state within about a 24-hour period from January 19 to January 20. At least one involved a chemical test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol level, and another involved field sobriety tests. Field sobriety tests in Philadelphia and throughout the state can involve a number of tasks, such as having the suspect do the “walk-and-turn” test or the “stand-on-one-leg” test. However, coming up short on Philadelphia DUI field tests is not the always the conclusive evidence many people may think it is.

For the people who were arrested during this recent 24-hour period in Pennsylvania, there may be a possibility that some of the procedures required from police were not met. However, one of the only ways to find out is to immediately begin assessing the case from a criminal defense perspective. Doing so could lead to some of the evidence being suppressed due to improper procedures, or perhaps having the case dismissed altogether. After the initial assessment of the evidence in the case, the next step is usually to either move forward toward trial or begin engaging the prosecution on terms of a plea bargain.

Source: LevittownPatch, “State Police Make 3 DUI Arrests,” Jesseka Kadylak, Jan. 23, 2013