600 DUI Arrests Where Blood Tests Came Back 0.0

[@fullenw]

They don't need "retraining". They know exactly what they are doing. They need to be held accountable for false arrests.

[@pigletshut]

All the way up to having funding cut as a penalty. Yup, I said it: defunding.

[@tomedgar4375]

The have been trained to abuse their authority to create illegitimate taxation

[@jerseyshoredroneservices225]

You beat me to it. These cops aren't making mistakes the same way the cop that pulled Steve over for "may have touched the line" didn't make a mistake...

[@tobyray8700]

Oh, the taxpayers are.

[@kensmith5694]

@@jerseyshoredroneservices225 Yes, this is a reason why cops are going to start to have to worry about the dashcams etc in cars. They document the lies.

[@okrookra6542]

This isn't about bad training. It's about quotas.

[@DaveBigDawg]

It's about the money from the grants from the federal government, MADD and the cost it takes to fight the unlawful arrest

[@Rkbmomma]

It's a race to see which cop gets the most DUI arrests to get the MADD money rewards. They should require breathalyzer/drug test results to be considered for money/awards, not simply arrests.

[@jamesturner5438]

​@@Rkbmommathere shouldn't be a reward for arrests, maybe some award for the most convictions but definitely not any financial incentives.

[@BruceLangman-qy2jl]

SOMETIMES BAD TRAINING , SOMETIMES BAD COPS

[@DramalessEarthbound]

Makes me think of the cop who tested a man's daughter's ashes and it showed positive for drugs.

[@jbrone1241]

You committed the crime of being pulled over by a cop that needed to make money.

[@e.jameszettlemoyer3819]

We should be able to sue MADD. They offer incentives for DUI arrests (not convictions).

[@jbrone1241]

@@e.jameszettlemoyer3819 police brethalized me when the driver blew a 0, wrote a ticket at a speed trap the speed changed 10 feet infront of us, and searched the car. We were afraid of the officer so we let him do it. Gave a ticket when a gps fell. Gee wonder why we got trouble with trust with police.

[@curtisj2165]

Policing for profit

[@curtisj2165]

​​@@e.jameszettlemoyer3819that's the problem, getting money for the arrests regardless if there's no actual convictions

[@xlr8also]

There is a program that rewards police for bringing a person in for DUI. You dont have to be convicted, the reward is for bringing you to the station and getting the process started. By the time the blood analysis comes back (months) you've already put a huge amount of money into the legal system.

[@nostromo526]

If cops were arrested for “false arrest” at a rate of 1% of all arrests, we’d find out REAL fast how unacceptable 1% is even if charges were ultimately dropped in every case.

[@jenf1387]

The most ridiculous false DUI arrest I've ever seen was an Iowa college athlete. That kid was clearly sober did the sobriety test fine and then they were going on about glassy eyes and slurred speech. He repeatedly requested a breathalyzer and finally when they gave it to him he blew triple zeros. When that didn't go the way they wanted they decided to arrest him under suspicion of driving after smoking weed. He's now suing rightfully so.

[@davidmasiello9449]

those cops are trying to sue him for slander or some such thing

[@coolraul07]

​@@davidmasiello9449 I THINK the cops' suit was dismissed, but don't quote me on that.

[@coolraul07]

Another cop at the station gave that kid a more thorough assessment (BP, pulse, other coordination tests, etc.) literally said that there were ZERO indications that he was under the influence of ANYTHING and released him a few minutes later. You know you've effed up when your Blue Line coworker won't back you up and implies that you don't know what you're doing.

[@crasher88]

nothing will happen

[@howardclegg6497]

Newton Iowa. At the follow up city council meetings, a man redressed them and was arrested not once but twice. It was so egregious that the Institute of Justice represents him.

[@Roads_of_Europe]

Investigate how many people lost their jobs because they were arrested of a DUI but turned out to be 100% sober. You would be shocked.

[@CD-vb9fi]

Would not be shocked... the "legal system" is full on corrupt from top to bottom! More awareness is required for people to start waking up. It's rampant with evil actors.

[@mikefuston4494]

all those people need to sue. these are slam dunk lawsuits

[@danhoffman9232]

They also had to pay towing and impound fee. Same things happen when someone steals your car. Either way your a victim of a system designed to take money from people regardless.

[@Metqa]

Class Action Lawsuit against the police. What a pipe dream.

[@jack002tuber]

@@Metqa With so much evidence. It would be a slam dunk pipe dream

[@spacespector]

A friend of mines mom is suing the Maryville TN police dept. They arrested her for DUI. They say said she had slurred speech. She had a stroke last year and has MS. No side of the road test or breathalyzer or blood test. Straight to booking. She is suing under violation of American disabilities act.

[@jsivco3sivco785]

HOWEVER... Should someone with a stroke and MS even be driving?! Was she weaving in and out of traffic? She's a menace on the roadways. There are times when a person needs to turn in his/her license.

[@simonchen6698]

@@jsivco3sivco785 If she wasn't weaving in and out of traffic then she's not a menace on the roadways right? There are times when you need to sue the police department for violation of American disabilities act.

[@tomeauburn]

@@jsivco3sivco785people have ms and strokes and legally drive. Last time I checked slurring speech is part of the driving test. My cousins wife has full polio and drives. She uses hand controls. Are they going to arrest her for DUI because she can't do FST? That's the first thing they want to do if you refuse the FST which everyone should refuse.

[@chuckfitzpatrick9147]

Ya, this is a tuff one to comment on. I’m temporarily impaired with a broken back and I can still drive quite well. But I could never pass a road side test. I do have a HP placard because I can’t stand without a cane or back brace. But should people with handicaps be allowed to drive, work, travel or even live.

[@Metal_Sign-Friday_Patchouli]

@@jsivco3sivco785 if she can still pass the test, I don’t see why not.

[@miniorivera1906]

Policing for profit should be unconstitutional and thus illegal.

[@DBAllen]

Most cops don't give a F about the Constitution.

[@e.jameszettlemoyer3819]

We should be able to sue MADD. They offer incentives for DUI arrests (not convictions).

[@talk2deb]

@@e.jameszettlemoyer3819 Quite the industry it is -Every year, MADD honors law enforcement for the number of impaired driving arrests made annually along with first responders, prosecutors, probation officers and MADD volunteers.

[@cvr527]

It is! But the lawyers and the Judiciary enable this govt criminal conduct. Govt criminal conduct that is rampant from the top to bottom all across the USA. It starts with the DoJ.

[@jamesomahoney2181]

The story about Texas town Coffee.. I was grateful for them being shut down.. I never been to Texas and never will, but having 50 cops in a town of 499 .. all residents are afraid to drive..

[@tomhines6974]

Retraining isn't necessary. Arrest them for lying under oath, false imprisonment and civil rights violations.

[@melanieclark2668]

First, stop allowing cops to lie to a suspect. Canada doesn’t allow their cops to lie. And, whaddya know, their cops aren’t nearly as brutal as the American variety. Let’s face it: American law enforcement sucks unless you’re wealthy enough to buy justice.

[@alanrobinson4318]

How many, with irrefutable evidence of complete sobriety, are still prosecuted by crooked DA's ???

[@jslaughterofthesoul4939]

Crooked prosecutors are an epidemic in the US, they will prosecute anybody and push the issue on anything. They have even more power and privileges, and less accountability than their gestapo enforcer counterparts. And they also continue to multiply and pursue more false/petty/retaliatory/weak charges, and prosecute more and more cases each year without any reality based justification, and also commit more and more misconduct and criminal offenses with even less avenues for recourse, and almost zero of even the symbolic internal "investigation" and "discipline" they enjoy. There are countless books, studies and essays on the subject. From about every respected academic institution and beyond

[@joeintsa6529]

Austin tx was found to falsified sample results to help law enforcement and prosecutors win cases. These are not honest brokers. This is a rigged system.

[@ShreddingFinn]

If you are arrested for DUI and subsequently come up totally sober on breath / blood, you should absolutely be able to sue the hell out of the officer and department that arrested you

[@e.jameszettlemoyer3819]

We should be able to sue MADD. They offer incentives for DUI arrests (not convictions).

[@kenhawkins1033]

It's a big club, but we're not in it. They are not going to change out of any sense of honor or common decency.

[@Butwhat1776]

​@@e.jameszettlemoyer3819agree totally. M.A.D.D. is a garbage organization that is easily manipulated and used by LEO unions.

[@LaurenGlenn]

Qualified Immunity. Add your complaint to the suggestion box and they’ll get to it right after Republicans pass a law banning guns

[@notspm9157]

It should depend. The laws need to change to make it so that there isn't really penalty for being arrested until the blood tests come back. The reason I say this is that hidden in the 600 people who were found there was an additional 102,290 that was found to have drugs/alcohol above the limit. That's an error rate of 0.59%. Actually it seems like the news just assumes that there wasn't alcohol in their system but from what I gather it's actually that they weren't above the legal limit. 2023 as well, if you look at that stat the error rate actually dropped to 0.29%. Overall there wasn't enough information given in the report to draw a proper assessment of whether or not something was justified, as I'd rather 1 person in every 341 "drunk" drivers be mislabeled as "drunk" than having to release those remaining 340 drivers who are actually drunk

[@daltonbryer3171]

This is why you don't want the government operating as a business.

[@jpnewman1688]

Really.. so how many times did you VOTE for gangsters to be your masters?? 😂😂😂

[@Stealth86651]

I mean private businesses aren't better, at the top you still have a sadistic person calling the shots. You need rules and regulations, followed by consequences when broken.

[@rods6741]

@@jpnewman1688they either arrest innocent citizens or turn criminals loose. you can't win.

[@LifeEnemy]

And yet so many people think just that. "The govt is basically just a big business so let's get the business guys with literally no government experience in." 🙄 The govt isn't even in the business of making a profit (rightly so, govt is supposed to SPEND taxes for the benefit of society). Sadly my some of my own family members fit into this. But they are notoriously stupid, so 🤷

[@okrookra6542]

@@Stealth86651 The difference with a private business is that they aren't making decisions for the entire country based on fattening their own pockets, just for their business. BUT. Then we have corporations who conspire with the government in the form of subsidies and kickbacks to make even more money than an unincorporated business.

[@DrVincentDoom]

If I’m ever falsely arrested for DUI I’ll lose my job. That puts my home, car, and family at risk. I can’t afford to wait several months for a negative test. That’s some S-tier BS

[@KatieTheDev]

Police departments should be liable for all damages caused by a false DUI arrest

[@DrVincentDoom]

@@jollyandwaylo I have a great job but I have to drive there. We all can’t work from home unfortunately. Not many driving focused jobs like truck drivers and home service jobs won’t wait that long.

[@natehill8069]

@@DrVincentDoom I think he means a job that fires you for being _accused_ of a crime, rather than considering you innocent until proven guilty, could be improved upon.

[@SlowHippie]

​@jollyandwaylo if you have a CDL you will lose your license if arrested for a DUI.

[@DrVincentDoom]

@@natehill8069 I understand we may not see a judge overnight but that’s just how our legal is. Guilty until proven innocent. I could be wrong but I don’t think they wait for any verdicts before hitting your records/DMV/insurance

[@JosephDemel-w9m]

I worked in an Emergency Room years ago. We could run the blood and urine screen and have the test results in 15 min. Now that wasn't considered a legal draw. But we could always call someone in who could do a legal draw. From the time of the draw to test results is still 15 minutes. Tennessee obviously needs to change their laws.

[@Enter-a-name55]

I got pulled over one morning and the cop did the old " I smell a strong odor of alcohol". I responded with "it must be coming off you because I haven't had a drink in 15 years". He didn't think that was funny and I had to go through all the sobriety tests. I had to blow. Got a 0.00. The whole time the cop was just ignorant towards me.

[@hughmccurdy3348]

Might have gone better for you with just "I haven't had a drink in 15 years." Getting a person with power angry is likely to go south fast.

[@redbaron6805]

@@hughmccurdy3348 We need to tell these clown officers claiming they smell alcohol when we are sober that we smell a strong odor of BS....

[@josephtitus5459]

You don’t have to do the field tests. Tell them to take you to the station for the real machine. Or the hospital if they don’t have the real machine.

[@jeremypike9153]

Don't do the sobriety tests they are just there for the police to gather evidence on you. This evidence can be misconstrued on purpose. Just refuse and make them arrest you when they do and the case gets thrown out after the tests come back clean sue them for illegal arrest.

[@TheArmchairrocker]

"There's something wrong with the way they're doing it." Yeah, it's called lying under oath.

[@jpnewman1688]

Name one politician, cop, prosecutor, judge, general, etc.. that doesn't lie.. 😂😂😂

[@stevepreskitt283]

Or "testilying" in the common vernacular.

[@thadrepairsitall1278]

Who is going to compensate the arrested person for the impound fees, lost wages, marital issues, lost job, or other complications caused by the bad arrest?

[@bm03431]

Taxpayers if anyone

[@Pizzaguy1022]

nobody

[@cardigansrule]

if they sue? yes the taxpayers. def not the cops, or their union, or their pension, etc... cops have immunity.

[@jpnewman1688]

If they VOTED, they deserve the STUPID prizes from their masters.. 😂😂😂

[@alexplayford3628]

Hear hear

[@e.jameszettlemoyer3819]

We should be able to sue MADD. They offer incentives for DUI arrests (not convictions).

[@ColorNerdChris]

This is the correct answer.

[@machintelligence]

Deduct ten for every wrong arrest and see where the incentives go.

[@jondspen]

Notice MADD isn't pushing for all these women on psyco meds to be prosecuted for driving while under the influence.

[@holymotherofpearl]

Ruining innocent people's lives for money. What a country.

[@michaelanthony1797]

The insurance companies are in on it too.

[@lifeafterlife8417]

With crime rates soaring across the country, It's an enormous amount of time and resources spent on arresting people who are law abiding.

[@mnj1tdk12]

Real criminals could be dangerous. Law abiding citizens yes sir and no sir all the way to jail. Ain't nobody trying to get hurt out here.

[@rhuiah]

DUI arrests are crazy crazy expensive and disruptive. It's frustrating how much harm these people can do with so little effort or accountability on their part.

[@shadowfaxcrx5141]

It's a great example of how well-intentioned movements can go off the rails. MADD started out with good intentions - get drunks off the road so they stop killing people. But they went overboard in their asks, and state legislatures went overboard trying to prove they're tough on drunks. In Minnesota, you can get a DUI for being drunk while standing anywhere near your car if you have the keys on you. One guy got arrested for DUI after getting drunk at home, then going out to his car to get something and falling asleep. In the arrest report, the cop even admitted the engine was cold and so the car hadn't been driven. And later when they went to tow it, it wouldn't start. He still got convicted, and lost on appeal which means that even if you're sitting in a junked car that doesn't have wheels, if you're intoxicated you can get a DWI in Minnesota. It's absolute madness because it wrecks law-abiding citizens' lives, and meanwhile habitual DUI offenders somehow manage to keep getting behind the wheel until they finally kill someone.

[@dvdadaudits7500]

Its all about the money

[@scatterbrain9490]

The worst kind of criminals are the ones you can't protect yourself from

[@frankieb1951]

@@scatterbrain9490 absolutely, as they have the law and judicial system at their back

[@skwerlz]

Love how MADD is decrying this while they're the ones offering awards for making the most DUI arrests - wrongful or otherwise.

[@fs127]

Like any organization, they may start off with good intentions, but eventually they'll be diverted into either ineptitude or corruption. Right now the Institute For Justice is doing great work, but in a decade or two they mat very well be operating like the American Civil Liberties Union.

[@redbaron6805]

THIS is the core issue. MADD gives departments grands, and officers awards, for DUI arrests REGARDLESS of conviction. Hence, departments and officers have a direct financial incentive to arrest maximum number of drivers for DUI, as the arrest counts for funding, no matter if the case was dismissed because the driver's BAC was 0.00. Hence, MADD needs to be defunded. I'll never donate a single penny to those clowns, as they are the core reason for this problem festering nationwide.

[@steveladner4346]

Being pulled over by law enforcement is like renting a car from Hertz.... you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[@natehill8069]

OMG imagine being pulled over for false DUI _while_ driving a Hertz car!

[@kousterx]

@@natehill8069 That'll be whatever charges multiplied by 3.5 because they can arbitrarily do it.

[@LuckyBaldwin777]

That isn't true everywhere. Middle of the week about 11 pm I was pulled over in San Francisco after slowing but not stopping at a half dozen stop signs. (Almost every corner in SF has a stop sign) the cop came up to me and I told him "I know I rolled through those stop signs but I have a pizza and was trying to get home before it got cold. I checked both ways at each intersection, and there was nobody around. If there was somebody around I would have come to a complete stop." The cop never asked me for my license or registration and could see I wasn't drunk. He was just making sure I wasn't drunk. Before he left, he told me "Just slow down a little bit more for the stop signs."

[@maxwellclark7054]

I got pulled over for dui, wasnt drunk. Spent the night in jail. Got out on a Saturday. Had to wait till monday to spend my whole check to get my car out of impound. Found a bunch of other ppls belongings in my car id never seen before. Matches/pens etc. my license was taken from me and i was told it was suspended. I had to take three days off work at separate times as my court hearing got pushed back twice. On the third time going to court, i was told the da isnt picking up your case you're free to go. I was jerked around so badly, and come to find out my license wasn't suspended even though it was taken from me and that getting rides to work everyday for the last 4+ months was completely pointless.

[@SmoothAerosol]

I have had two instances in the past where I was told my license was suspended to later find out I had been lied to by the police. In one case I was working as a delivery driver and had to give that up because “my license was suspended for six months”, unfortunately I was young and dumb and thought I was being responsible by listening to what the police told me.

[@happytrailsleadtohell]

State must be obligated to compensate fully for all negative consequences of a false arrest. That would bring false positives to zero.

[@TheLepke2011]

Many years ago I got pulled over at 3am driving home. The cop asked if I had been drinking. I told him I had a couple of beers about 8 hours ago, the truth. He called for backup, so there were three cops on me, and had me do the field sobriety test, and then blow. I came back clean, and he told me, "I could use discretion here, and give you a DUI, but I don't feel like doing the paperwork", and let me go. What jack wad.

[@nowake]

He took 2 other officers away from what other duties they had that night to harass you, but then didn't feel like doing the paperwork. Says all you need to know about pigs in uniform.

[@stoyanb.1668]

Your mistake was talking.

[@codecixteen]

DON’T TALK TO THE POLICE. DO NOT TALK TO THE POLICE. DO NOT SPEAK TO THE POLICE. DO NOT TELL THE POLICE ANYTHING. DO NOT MAKE MOUTH NOISES NEAR THE POLICE.

[@retiredatc8720]

​@@codecixteenand don't do the field sobriety tests.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

@@codecixteen -- Adding to your comment: *Anything you say will be twisted and then used against you.* (Well, generally, it's a good idea to let them know that you are exercising your right to remain silent, otherwise you are "uncooperative" for not saying anything and not explaining why.)

[@oldretireddude]

Hey I'm an old man with a history of way too many sinus infections over my life. There are several areas of those tests that I could not pass from a balance standpoint. We need to establish some laws that keep employers from firing or changing employment status until the employee is proven guilty. Let's get back to "Innocent until proven guilty".

[@thelogicaldanger]

Always refuse the field tests, they are not required. Yes, they will arrest you and take you to the station for breathalyzer and/or hospital for drug blood testing, but then they will have to release you when the results are negative, because they will have no grounds for the arrest. If you do the field test, then their made-up reading is the "grounds" even when your breathalyzer/drug test is negative.

[@mhouse1712]

@oldretireddude Don’t feel bad, as I couldn’t pass or even do most of, if any of the “roadside tests”, outside of the handheld breath testing devices, either. I’m 44(will be 45 in a few weeks) and have a physical disability(I walk with a cane, due to a moderate to severe injury to my left leg, from my time in law enforcement), but I am otherwise ok, fitness-wise, but those test, while the “best” they could come up with, show little to nothing in reality.

[@boataxe4605]

Vote Libertarian. It’s our only chance of having the constitution adhered to.

[@KatieTheDev]

Make the police liable for false DUI arrests

[@jddrafts]

Will employers be held liable if they let someone with a DUI arrest continue to work and that person shows up drunk to work and hurts/kills somebody while operating machinery or a vehicle? If someone is driving drunk how can you trust them not to do the same at work?

[@ChillyJack]

Abolish qualified immunity and create a cause of action for arrests like these with massive penalties.

[@Strideo1]

Welp. Let's all write to our representatives that we want this law so they can tell us no.

[@denisrichard58]

Qualified immunity is needed. But only with the intent it was originally created. Not for crap like this and the 1000s of other times cops use it to get away from responsibility for actions they obviously knew they should not have been doing.

[@Richard-f4b4r]

@@denisrichard58 Yes.

[@ChillyJack]

@@denisrichard58 Unfortunately judges can't be trusted to not misinterpret laws and policies in favor of the government.

[@Strideo1]

@@denisrichard58 Qualified immunity is not needed. There wasn't a problem before the Supreme Court invented it by legislating from the bench. Remember: qualified immunity is designed to protect government officials who have broken the law.

[@KalijahAnderson]

There is a huge problem in our system. Just being arrested shouldn't count against you. Only convictions should count against you. Losing your job because of a false arrest is undeserved consequences and arrest records should be expunged if it doesn't result in a conviction.

[@bennagy5201]

Reminds me of community in Florida that used traffic stops as a fund raiser. Because when you go to court you incur court costs. In the case of a dui even if charges are dropped, along with the things you mentioned you also incur the cost of an attorney. The attorney fought for you doing his job. He isn’t going to refund his fee when the lab report comes back 0.00. This needs to become a class action suit.

[@chadillac2472]

I imagine it would be very hard to not go ape shit crazy getting arrested for DUI when you know you're sober.

[@christopherkidwell9817]

There is also a problem that even if you 'blow high' on the breathalyzer and 'test high' on the blood test, there are other reasons for high alcohol in your system than "You were DRINKING!": Untreated diabetes to name the biggest one.

[@Strideo1]

Like people being put in the insane asylum when they're not crazy. That would drive me nuts!

[@chrishavill6458]

​@@christopherkidwell9817A medical issue making you unsafe to drive is still on you as a person.

[@Nobody85746]

Never been punished for something that you didn't do? Ie Paying your electrical bill and some knuckle head decides to falsely accuse stealing power. Yeah a full summer of +106 F without power.

[@_PatrickO]

In texas, the cops will purposely not breathalyze you because the law does not require them to do that to make an arrest. A BAC level of 0 would help you defend yourself. If they deny you the BAC reading, you'll have no defense. Lots of innocent people get charged with public intox or DUI. Never ever ever walk near an officer if out at night in a place like texas. They target people not in large groups for bogus arrests. I knew someone who got a PI charge for leaving a party early, had to lawyer up, and got the case tossed. But that requires luck because if the law does not require a BAC reading, they can still convict you even with a lawyer advocating on your behalf. I suspect if he was not white, he would have been convicted.

[@joesterling4299]

From a lawyer in my family: By the time a cop asks you to perform a sobriety test, he has already decided to arrest you. Refuse. Then he won't have the sobriety test to use against you in court.

[@pete84101]

Depends on the state-refusal can mean license suspension

[@andrewfidel2220]

Check your state laws on that, in Ohio we have 'implied consent' where we have to submit to a breathalyzer test or face automatic license suspension, for us field sobriety tests aren't likewise mandatory but I assume other states might be.

[@CD-vb9fi]

@@pete84101 irrelevant. it's easier to fight the license suspension than it is to fight a DUI charge. And even if you don't win... your license is only suspsended for a little while. A DUI/DWI is far worse anyways. Refuse. You literally cannot win. All you are doing after is controlling how much you lose.

[@richardhole8429]

Field sobriety checks are subjective. The officer can assume anything he-she wants to assume. Decline those tests and take the breathalyzer. And urge your legislators to outlaw subjective tests. Also that blood test results not processed with 24 hours should be disallowed.

[@Anonsense-w5g]

@@andrewfidel2220 I think (but obviously can’t be sure) the OP is talking about field sobriety tests, which are inherently subjective. If you’re drunk you’ll fail. If you’re sober you’ll fail. So just don’t do it. They’re voluntary in every state. Breath and blood tests are often (always?) mandatory.

[@ianbattles7290]

It's terrifying to see how many negative consequences you will suffer *just because of the accusation.* You are treated like a criminal, *whether you were sober or not.*

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Same for a lot of other false accusations. SA, domestic abuse, assault and/or battery, various types of homicide... All are VERY serious crimes, and a false accusation for them will ruin your life even after the accusation has been proven false. "They would not have been accused if they weren't the kind of person to do that crime in the first place. What a scumbag!"

[@luannsuekindem7377]

Yeah, it’s guilty until proven innocent.

[@HamrickCE]

I'm from TN and the cops saw me outside my house with a glass of wine and charged me with public intoxication. I thought the law was straight forward and attempted to fight it in court but the judge said because I had a glass of wine in public (technically I was on private property) that I was guilty. So, I'm glad to see CH 4 in finally investigating this corruption. When investigated for my top secret clearance I was asked what changes I made so this doesn't happen again. I told the investigator "I moved to a state (NV) where it's not illegal to be drunk in public". She said "That's fair"

[@bryancondrey6457]

Stop using glass. Start using a Big Gulp 7-11 cup. The assumption was based on the container only.

[@donrasmussen3039]

That’s why I use a coffee cup (it’s a large one) for my rum and coke.

[@pennkeuka]

Florida, there is no public intoxication law, it's disorderly intoxication. You have to be both. But there are open container laws, but not on your own property.

[@barnabusdoyle4930]

I would wager money that this is happening in EVERY state

[@kahala225]

It is happening in many, if not all, states. There are several non profits as well as govt orgs that provide training to departments and when the dept makes a required number of arrests, they get funding from the programs and equipment. . MADD is one. What they are pushing is to arrest people for non alcohol intoxication or drugged driving. They actually train the officers to be drug whisperers. Every year, MADD has award ceremonies all over the country and rewards the officers who make the most arrests. I do not know if they are given monetary rewards but they receive a plaque or a trophy an I'm sure that plays out monetarily. Not to mention they get overtime pay when a court date is oon their day off. They are literally celebrated as superheroes for their dedication to eliminate DWI. In some jurisdictions, the officers have a competition against other jurisdictions or agencies to see who can get the most arrests. This has quickly become an incentive for corruption. I was arrested for taking prescribed Adderall. i was a firefighter for 30 years and a paramedic for 14 years in Dallas, Texas. I blew 0.0000% alcohol and submitted blood that revealed 0.0000% alcohol. However, after the blood is tested for alcohol, they resend the sample to another lab to be tested for drugs. It never came back so after two years waiting for the drug test, the case was dismissed due to the 2 year statute of limitations. I lost my job, of 30 years, they towed my truck for $450. I hired a DWI lawyer for $3300, Bail was $1000 and I had to check in with them every Tuesday for 2 fn years. I only received $600 of that back. They took $80 out of my wallet and replaced it with a debit Master Card with $0.00 balance on it. After months of tracking down the Debit Card company I was able to get $65 of that back. My dog spent two nights in the animal shelter. II was in jail until 3:30 the following day so I lost a full day of pay. i was AWOL from my job. Nobody knew where I was. The pnones in the jail did not work except to call the bail companies so I was unable to call my work until I got out of jail. had to get an Uber to get home from jail to my home and another to pick up my truck at the tow facility which was 30 miles away.. I have contacted many lawyers to start a civil case and turned down every time, so far. And a lot more. The mental, emotional and financial costs are immense. I was allowed to retire with 30 years but lost a ton of money there too and now I am barely getting by. My eyeight is terrible so Ill stop here. Then I will storm around angry for the rest of the day.

[@123lodge8]

The night in jail is nothing compared to what comes next. Lawyer fees. Temp loss of drivers license. Pre-trial restrictions. Insurance issues possible. Arrest is on your record. Could lose your job especially if driving is part of your job. Your reputation/humiliation. All of this BEFORE any conviction so even if charges dropped you still face it all.

[@johndonovan7018]

7000$ per one victim on lawyer fees to fight this. news networks been doing interviews now

[@jessicaanderson7885]

I found out that some people are required to pay for a device for the ignition in order to be released pending trial. That's about a thousand dollars minimum just for the device.

[@johndonovan7018]

@@jessicaanderson7885 thats only if you have prior convictions of DUI and it very unusual and jurisdiction dependent. not something you should worry about before a conviction

[@jessicaanderson7885]

@@johndonovan7018 Not according to the latest update on this story from Tennessee. This woman had to get the device and she had been sober. She had to finance the device to get released.

[@johndonovan7018]

@@jessicaanderson7885 oh my thats just compounding it. do you have a link to her particular situation. i have not come across it

[@azuth11]

Cops wake up everyday and ask themselves “How shall I earn the hate?”

[@davidayers5173]

Corrupt cops are why there is a defund the police movement

[@blackbuttecruizr]

I live in TN and I have been in touch with my legislator who sits on the committee who oversees the TBI, the committee is currently investigating this issue.

[@mrcryptozoic817]

So, they expect to release a redacted study in 2 or 3 years?

[@TheBoogerJames]

We investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong. A story as old as time.

[@saab9251]

Qualified immunity. Every officer in the state shifts to the department to their left. Status quo continues. Individuals should be able to sue the state, city, and individual officer for these kinds of extortion attempts.

[@okrookra6542]

The committee who oversees the TBI also directs the TBI's actions. They already knew what the TBI was doing and probably signed off on it. As the other commenters said, don't hold your breath.

[@user-neo71665]

Let me guess they will find no wrong doing

[@cuzz63]

I noticed Steve avoided saying "sober as a judge". lol

[@jpnewman1688]

@@cuzz63 thou shall not judge.. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@higgydufrane]

There is so much injustice in this world these days.

[@AlGoYoSu]

I had a Brazilian landlord 15 years ago who told me a story about when he first got to the United States. He only spoke Portuguese not English at the time. Long story short, he is pulled over and arrested, taken to the police department where another officer administers a breathalyzer. The result was a 0.0, the officer administering the breathalyzer yells at the arresting officer (he had no idea what was being said at the time), who then proceeds to take him back to his car and apologizes. The biggest shocker is the cop actually apologizing.

[@midnightrambler8866]

We do believe that

[@wildwatashi]

I believe it was Colorado that had an officer recently awarded for having the most DUI arrests for his department. Not mentioned was the fact that many of his arrests were sober drivers.

[@cesarcueto1995]

i bet he got a bonus for that....seems like an issue

[@GoodCitizen-g6f]

I remember seeing that one. MADD had a contest going on for most arrests and he wanted the award to get better chance at promotion.

[@jwayneair]

There’s one in Georgia also, partly because he took something like a 6 hour course that made him a “drug recognition expert”, and was awarded for making the most drug arrests in the state, ARRESTS, not convictions.

[@wildwatashi]

The City of Loveland has reached a settlement with a man who was arrested on a DUI charge in 2020 even after he blew zeros during a breathalyzer test and after a blood test came back negative for any drugs.

[@RiverCat999]

Future Hall of Famer.

[@johnlummis5119]

Steve , I am a former UK police officer , it's a simple fact that these officers saying ' the eyes were blurry or glazed ' or ' their breath smelled of alcohol ' etc , are just lies and purely fictitious if someone blows ' zeros' , those statements cannot possibly be true , if they repeat those statements in a court , the officers should be charged with perjury , the science says one thing yet the officers want you to believe they know better with nothing to back it up other than their word. I still don't understand , as a former officer , why they don't just breathylize someone 1st , rather than get them to do these silly tests which prove nothing ( we do not do them in the UK because they are useless) , the breathylizer says whether you are over or close to the limit or not at all. I now have a condition ( peripheral neuropathy)which makes me unsteady on my feet and because of that I do not drink any alcohol at all , I would not pass any field sobriety tests whatsoever but would blow zero's all day , every day . Just ' bag them ' , if they pass , let them go , if they fail , arrest them , it's not rocket science.

[@frankmckenneth9254]

Because they have perverse incentives outside of the law. They are using this to gain money from incentive programs inside the station, not to enforce justice on the streets. This is racketeering, not law enforcement.

[@MrCodyminner]

In the USA, they can not breathalyze you unless they believe you are drunk. Which is where the field sobriety test come in. However refusing to do the fst is what they call "probable cause" and use to breathalyze the "suspect". But what makes it worse is they need no "probable cause" to ask you to do a FST. It's a system geared to destroying innocent people and circumventing the law to get "probable cause"

[@TAVOAu]

Same down here in the little colony of Australia. First stage is a breath test. Blow under the limit, and you're on your way. Blow over the limit, you wait a short while for the booze bus, with the "big" machine. Even the police down here don't have time to waste on these silly, useless field tests, they should be a thing of the past.

[@woodrowwilliams1812]

When you financially incentivize cops to do immoral acts, there are enough bad ones that will do immoral acts such as lying in court about what they observed.

[@spart0n654]

born and raised in middle TN. many years ago in the early 2010s and I was going to vol state in gallatin at the time and I was going in for 3 exams that day and I was pulled over at 7:15am about 5mins away from the campus and the cop did an hour of tests on the side of the road and of course I was a walking zombie from 3 days of cramming. He wanted to arrested me but I demanded a breath test and he told me that it would a while to get there, I wound up missing all my exams that day and thankfully was able to retake them because I had dash cam footage of the entire exchange AND at the end of it the cop still gave me a written warning.

[@donh8833]

Later the officer comes in and says "call this attorney, he will get this cleared up". They get a kick back. Latest scam

[@mhfuzzball]

I remember hearing about one department's entire DUI unit getting hit by a Federal investigation of that, in Arizona if I remember correctly.

[@theshowersinger6681]

This is why anyone who gets called to jury duty needs to go and scrutinize officer testimony, procedures and their disciplinary history. The US justice system is corrupt and it’s up to us to fix it.

[@jondspen]

Jury Nullification

[@PM-7636]

If you show any inclination to NOT be interested in putting away the accused, they will dismiss you from jury duty...happened to me.

[@user-js4iw9rz2w]

​@@PM-7636So don't show that inclination

[@raptureready5004]

They did it to me. Cops are out of control. No traffic infraction. Ruined my life.

[@terranhealer]

Did they hit you with a DUI? Were you sober?

[@power2084]

Sue them and get rich ! And stop voting.

[@CD-vb9fi]

@@terranhealer Did you not watch the video? Yes, cops falsely charged him with a DUI/DWI.

[@quijybojanklebits8750]

Same dude same.

[@raptureready5004]

@@power2084 no lawyers would help me. They seriously deserve to be sued big time! Bunch of bullies. Treated me like I was the enemy in a war zone. The judge wanted me to sign an agreement that I wouldn't sue. Of course I refused.

[@wendighoul]

You mean barely-trained individuals who are highly motivated to find intoxicated people aren't very good at finding sober people? Shocking!

[@SidemeatNo7]

Cops do not become Criminals... Criminals, become Cops.

[@Thomamps]

I know one state completely removed breathalyzers so the only option is to wait for the blood test. I've seen a DUI arrest video where they said he failed the field sobriety test in freezing temperatures and he then blew 0.00 on the breathalyzer but he got arrested and charged. The blood came back clean after a couple of months waiting for the results.

[@pennkeuka]

Supreme Court Florida ruled that blood draws for misdemeanors were unreasonable searches. So, 1st two duis, leos can't get a warrant for blood, only breathalyzer and urine.

[@Thezuule1]

Earning the hate every single day..

[@nukepuke932]

So? Our "hate" for them doesn't affect them in the slightest.

[@P_RO_]

@@nukepuke932 When he hate turns to action they will care and nobody wil care about them getting what they have given. Which is why all the good cops have left the profession.

[@kaptainwarp]

Little Boy Blue is not your friend.

[@nukepuke932]

@@P_RO_ My reply to you got deleted, so I'll just say that--due to what happened to someone who took action against cops--it will be a *very* long time before anyone else does that again.

[@P_RO_]

@@nukepuke932 I'm not speaking of a singular event but a large movement which IMHO is coming because of the abuses of rights done by :E and condoned by the justice system. There's only so much people will tolerate.

[@FnRenner]

+600 tells me two things. First being that this problem is a failure of leadership, the training officers receive to determine DUI intoxication levels is severely flawed and being abused.

[@elpatron7916]

Or maybe it never worked 😂😂🎉😂❤

[@SeattleSpursFan1882]

It tells me that TN doesn't give a crap about civil liberties. That's 600 kidnappings if you want to be real about it.

[@johndonovan7018]

its not about training. they just decide they will arrest you off the bat and everything else is dancing around

[@NBSV1]

Field sobriety tests are highly flawed to begin with. People can be well over the limit, but still able to pass the tests. People also can be sober but nervous or have other issues that make them fail the test. Some of the quick field tests are good for a quick assessment. But, they should only be used as a means for more testing. Even though the roadside breathalyzers aren’t the best it’s at least a much better tool than someone going by feelings.

[@jack002tuber]

And only in TN. Why not all states? There is a reason.

[@joshuasweet688]

A couple of months ago I got pulled over pretty much because I was leaving a bar at closing time. And I drive for Uber. I refused to answer any questions or perform any tests. I believe the only reason I didn't get arrested was because one of the sergeants on duty knew me personally and knew I do not drink.

[@pennkeuka]

These cops used to wait outside this bar at night. One night, guy stumbles out and bends over and throws up. Stumbles over to his car and drives away. The cop stops him and arrests him for dui. They take him for the breathalyzer and it comes up 0.00. Cop says that can't be right, we have to do that again. Guy says you can can do it 100 times, it'll still come up 0.00 because tonight was my turn to be designated decoy.

[@Scanjo]

And being arrested for DUI at a 0.0, having your car impounded, losing your job because you did a no call-no show...that isn't even the worst of it. You can't even sue them for that crap because of qualified immunity. I feel so bad for those 600 people.

[@kpp8349]

The fact you can be arrested for something so subjective in the land of the free is amazing to me. Here in Australia every cop car has a calibrated breathalyser and then if you blow over the limit you get taken for an immediate blood test, this is actually in the favour of the civilian as the bal could go down by then to get you under the limit

[@patriotlightning4699]

Steve; my daughter is set to graduate Cumberland School of Law NEXT MONTH..... she and a girlfriend left a birthday celebration at a local steak-house in August this year, and my daughter was driving home. She "sat too long" (the reason the cop gave her) at a traffic light after it had turned green, and was pulled over 2 blocks later. She was asked the standard questions, "where are you going?"..... "where have you been?", etc etc..... being the polite person she is, and with zero reason to worry, she answered truthfully; well once the LEO heard they "had been to a Birthday celebration".... the drinking/sobriety questions began. (NEITHER OF THEM HAD HAD ANYTHING OTHER THAN SODA TO DRINK) Long story short; they both refused the FST and the breathalyzer. My daughter was arrested for DUI, but they would not let her friend drive her car home because she refused testing as well, so the car was towed and the friend had to call an Uber. My daughter spent 12 hours in jail, but let them draw blood because she KNEW there would be no alcohol or anything else to show up, not even an RX because she does not take any meds. She informed her Professors and admins the minute I picked her up from jail @ 10:00 am the next morning, and they were fine after she explained the details and circumstances; one of them advised her to go to LabCorp and get a private blood test, "just in case, as insurance" even knowing it had been 12 hours since she was arrested, so we did just that and simply paid out-of-pocket. Fast Forward to November 7th, just over a week ago; the blood test from intake @ the jail proved there to be 0.00 BAC, AND for any other substances, as was the private test. The judge dismissed the case entirely, and ordered the arrest to be expunged. (good luck with that, right?) This could have totally derailed these last four years she has busted her tail for to maintain the highest of grades and graduate, as well as taking the BAR in February of 2025!! I am 99% pro-LE, but there are simply too many badge-heavy cops out there looking to stack up a *body count* with BS arrests, especially knowing they are mostly protected by "qualified immunity"!!!

[@christophermatkins]

Good it worked for her getting tested. But I’ve seen IN PERSON a judge THROW out immediate blood tests . Saying they’re not reliable .

[@fs127]

I'd tell her to become a DA and actually prosecute bad cops, but that's a surefire way to turn the system against her.

[@Metal_Sign-Friday_Patchouli]

I’d probably be pro law enforcement if they had a reputation of enforcing the law. Or at least knowing it.

[@andrewkent650]

I can't imagine any right thinking person to be pro-LE in this day and age. The way they're shown to regularly trample on rights and outright lie on reports should have any rational person questioning their honesty and integrity at all times. Also, just so I can get the trifecta of correct use of they're, their and there: so there!

[@jpnewman1688]

@@patriotlightning4699 I bet you VOTED for gangsters to be your masters then cry about the STUPID prizes like a little baby a lot.. 😂😂😂

[@lawman5511]

Never do any field sobriety tests. You are not required to assist in an investigation

[@bobthetitanic]

If they are zero , why didn't the tests work properly?

[@bondobilly9369]

If you have a cdl or depending on state, you are.

[@johndonovan7018]

dont matter. they will still arrest you. it changes nothing in this situation (or others currently pending in federal court)

[@ronjohnson6916]

If they're arresting you on zeros, they're arresting you if you refuse a field sobriety test.

[@Omniseed]

​@@bobthetitanicfield sobriety tests don't 'work' at all, they're a subjective opportunity for the cop to decide whether to screw with you or not.

[@saldiven2009]

The problem is the wide-spread trainings that police go to that teach them how to determine if someone is intoxicated using subjective criteria that don't really have any basis in science.

[@Thezuule1]

Bingo. This is why the wise move is always to refuse FST.

[@Strideo1]

It's not just subjective. It's outright biased.

[@e.jameszettlemoyer3819]

We should be able to sue MADD. They offer incentives for DUI arrests (not convictions).

[@ogbt]

Has nothing to do with training, these officers know exactly what they are doing. They don't care about you rights and only care about furthering their careers. If there was ANY accountability for LEOs this wouldn't be happening.

[@Richard-f4b4r]

@@ogbt Exactly

[@6williamson]

They need rapid tests and, if they are so rare, the state should have no problem reimbursing the victims for their loses.

[@michaeljkosak5597]

The Civil rights lawyer works in West Virginia and he should work to do a class action lawsuit with Morgan and Morgan against the state of Tennessee on behalf of the 600 falsely arrested people. Maybe they can get 600 million from a jury award.

[@JDrapic]

Something that's glossed over is the fact that (at least in my area) it can easily be over $1000 to get your car out of tow even after only 1 night and it can increase over $100 per day. On top of that, it's on the books in my state that the car MUST be towed for a DUI arrest under law; no one can come by and pick it up no matter where you got pulled over at. You don't have that money and have no means to get it? Tough luck, enough time passes and they auction your car off and you get nothing. Do the innocent get compensation for this? Of course they don't! This is enough to completely eliminate somebody's livelihood because if they don't get fired for missing work for the arrest, they could lose their job simply because they have no way to get there without a car. Now they've gone from getting pulled over and wrongfully arrested to the slippery slope that can lead to homelessness or resorting to crime just to make ends meet. With the way homelessness is increasingly criminalized (even though they are contrary to laws that say laws cannot be made that criminalize people based on their economic status, no matter what the supreme court says), they're basically forced to decide what flavor of criminal they're going to become. So I agree with Steve here, with the extra mile that beyond exoneration, they deserve reparations and the heads of everyone who had turned a blind eye to this for so long.

[@domfer2540]

I am a disabled vet and I would not pass any field sobriety test. You do know the officers get bonus pay for arrest.

[@GoodPerson746]

Most cops have already decided whether they are going to make a DUI arrest regardless of the "tests".

[@CZsWorld]

Should you just ask for the breathalyzer instead?

[@hellsfirefreedomtube6984]

How many people have lost their jobs on false accusations of a DUI? That’s what I want to know

[@richardbeals1403]

NEVER take a field sobriety test. They are not compulsory like a breathalyzer and are completely subjective.

[@Thezuule1]

They are not based in science at all. They’re just a means for police to gather subjective evidence against you that a jury of angry mothers will see as proof from on high that you were drinking and driving.

[@johnevans9751]

I agree, though I think there are 3 states that will automatically charge you with DUI (needs verification).

[@markdsm-5157]

seems the Police rely on subjective testing methods a little too much. K9 searches, smell test, visual observations. Anything hard to disprove in court. Then if they search saying they smell alcohol or drugs, find a gun they get a pass on being wrong because they found something illegal.

[@Pisti846]

In NJ refusal makes you guilty.

[@Thezuule1]

@ you have to submit to chemical testing not FST. They can ultimately charge you with DUI just because they feel like it in any state because they’re tyrants with too much power.

[@CZpersi]

Each of these cases should lead to criminal charges against the arresting officers, including perjury and malicious prosecution.

[@Jirodyne]

Every single one of those people, should sue the State for Cruel and Unusual Punishments. 600, getting $1 million out of the State's budget EACH? I bet the state would get off it's ass and crack down on this shit. Stop letting the Government to Violate your Constitutional Rights!

[@williamprice3929]

Major scandal, should be a major class action law suit.

[@borisdarlink1]

I don't understand why anyone would agree to field sobriety testing. If they ask they already suspect you , all you will do is give them more ammunition .

[@jimhunt1592]

DUI stops seem to be the opposite of innocent until proven guilty.

[@aaadamt964]

They're absolutely guilty until proven innocent.

[@ralphmtsu]

Blame MADD-- bunch of "do-gooders" who have no clue. Organization should face a federal RICO investigation.

[@stevepreskitt283]

Rather like civil asset forfeiture....

[@robertmcgee7083]

Happened to my 18 year old grandson Jaden decker this year, he’s a country music singer. he wrote a song about it called thrown to the wolves that went viral. His story vent viral on multiple utube channels. We’re in Missoula Montana.

[@MeRiaNevaMynd]

I saw that video I believe on The Civil Rights Lawyer's channel. Terrible & shameful what happened to Jaden But I'm glad he wrote the song to bring awareness. Plus it's a really good song!

[@walter6574]

Wolf is a better label than pig as wolves are predators and hunt in packs (aka gangs).

[@kevinwest7912]

Yep, I saw that story and now follow Jaden on KZbin.

[@jess_o]

I lay a large portion of the blame at the feet of MADD

[@ralphmtsu]

@@jollyandwaylo disagree. MADD is a bunch of Karens. We should go back to the way things were before MADD got everyone so hysterical about DUIs. I go with the no harm, no foul approach. If someone drives drunk but doesn't hurt anyone or damage any property, no need to arrest someone for it. It should be considered an aggravating factor of another crime.

[@Lonewolf-uc5yl]

I live in Middle TN and I have been following this story. Several years ago I was falsely arrested for DUI. It took 5 months for my blood tests to come back from the state lab. It showed that I had no drugs/alcohol in my system. I was still forced to pay a lot of money to the court even though my charge was dropped. Law enforcement is financially incetivized to arrest people and there is no accountability for false arrests.

[@timothyjohnson6258]

Even if the PD drops the charges and lets the guy/woman go, they should be compensated for their time, towing charges repaid and all attorney's fees repaid and a $500 "so sorry", thanks for playing parting gift. No cop, regardless of his experience is qualified to make that kind of judgment based solely on what the cop "thinks". Why not, just on general principle, retrain all of the cops even if they haven't done a false arrest? First, though, retrain all of the trainers. And just for good measure, make them memorize the Constitution because there's a ton of cops who have no idea what your rights are.

[@kevinwest7912]

500 bucks? What about the job you lost? What about the stigma you gained and is incredibly hard to shake? No! You should get compensated for EVERY REAL DOLLAR YOU LOST!

[@mikeblaylock206]

Happened to me in Tennessee in 2017. Case was dismissed. It took 9 months several court dates and over $4000 in legal fees. I told him I was disabled and couldn’t do the FST. He said well just try and see how you do. I fail of course, I have spinal cord injuries. Even the jail staff didn’t understand why I was there.

[@Broadsword999]

This is in nuts, in the UK if you are stopped by Police they breathalyse you at the road side if you test clear they ley you go, if you test positive they take you to the station and you get breathalysed on a more sophisticated desktop model and that is the definitive test and if you show negative they let you go. Being breathalysed and testing negative and they decide to arrest you for that is insane.

[@Milo_1368]

Apparently that's too invasive

[@jondspen]

In the USA, even if you walk/talk normally, pass breath test with 0.0, they will still arrest you saying you are on some type of drugs. Only way you win is going to jail and taking a blood test then waiting for 3-4 months as your life is destroyed.

[@LoganRobles-j4j]

TN doesnt use breathalyzers. I wouldnt trust the goons to calibrate anyways.

[@okaro6595]

@@Milo_1368 And the humiliating tests are not. Breathalyzer tests show only the relevant thing. It does not tell anything else so it is not any invasive test.

[@TrekZero]

In Germany it is the same way. and NO Cop in Germany could ever Pull a Stunt like the US Cops... Would get in trouble for false arrest.

[@user-no1cares]

Every POST Academy graduate can tell you how such behavior is trained into officers, but they won’t.

[@mattw4813]

This is what happens when the government incentivizes, DUI arrests, not convictions, but arrests 10:10

[@perryelyod4870]

Also, the obsession with demanding ID, and running names in the hope there's an outstanding warrant, and they get an easy arrest, and a gold star in their binder. Having your name run through the system will always have you as a 'person of interest'.

[@mattw4813]

@ yes!!! People don’t realize that when you get id’d they are adding your name to a database and building a profile about you, such as where you live , where you work, if you are a passenger in a car that gets pulled over and the driver has a suspended license or registration or something illegal on them. You are now a known associate of that person.

[@YTAlnyc]

Any arrest by those officers should be questioned. Any testimony that is subjective should also be disallowed in court. There need to be repercussions when officers keep making the same mistakes over and over again. As has been said before, you should never agree to roadside sobriety tests. They will never help you and will probably hurt you.

[@blueoddball]

Never take a field sobriety test!

[@chrisforker7487]

Go directly to jail and in many states, lose your license for a year! Bad advice!

[@timothy24287]

@@chrisforker7487 field sobriety test does not equal breathalyzer test.

[@alanmcentee9457]

@@chrisforker7487 Field sobriety tests are inadmissible in courts. They need a test that is reproduceable and meets standards. Those includes blood tests and breath tests.

[@blueoddball]

I don't know where you get that from. Read the law. Field sobriety tests are voluntary, breathalyzer tests are not,that's when you go to jail. Two times I have done it, never went anywhere but back in my truck and drove on.​@chrisforker7487

[@tallman369]

Not all states. No your state law.​@chrisforker7487

[@berntandersson3904]

This show the sobriety tests in the US is old outdated. This is why Europe and others scrapped it looking time ago and only use breathalyzer (and bloodtest). No room for opinions with a breathalyzer result. It is overdue to do the same statewide here too.

[@stoyanb.1668]

Only blood work is accurate. Breathalyzers are very inaccurate and oftern give false positives.

[@jondspen]

Even if you pass the breath test, they will still arrest you saying it is drug use.

[@bobd2659]

One small problem. It's a machine and CAN be wrong (less so with larger desktop models). One USA manufacturer kept delaying handing over 'proprietary' code for the device in a case when ordered to - keeping the DUI case alive - and it showed when looked at that is had to fail 32 times IN A ROW before it showed a device fail msg. IE, it was giving itself 32 erroneous before alerting that they were erroneous, IIRC it was because it was bloated code, and that was the 'fix' to make it work.

[@jimboha]

​@@jondspen Which is a crock! I was subject to a random drug test at a defense contractor job I once had - it literally took me longer to pee into the cup [I have a bashful bladder...] than it took to get the results! Sure, maybe those results aren't as accurate as the drug lab, but they are months faster. But the police don't want to do that because it costs them more and they get fewer arrests.

[@christophermatkins]

@@jondspenspot on they just say “I know you’re on something I just can’t pinpoint what substance you are on! 🤮

[@JamesMiller-ce1df]

And even more importantly, the charge/arrest remains on your record, which will affect your interactions with govt for years.

[@curtisbailey4398]

MADD should not be allowed to offer awards, prizes, or bonuses for arrests. Any incentive for arrests is rife for abuse.

[@Digital-Dan]

At age 80, with some neuropathies and apparently also early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, I could no more pass the sobriety balance tests while stone sober than a younger person with .16% As far as can tell, I am still fully competent to drive, but do not look forward to any sort of such test. I'll probably fall over. I can, however, touch my finger to my nose; maybe there's hope.

[@Dan.50]

Happened to me when I was 16 back in 1988. I got stopped and was a smartass so the cop gave me a dui. Luckily the judge threw it out.

[@Garth2011]

What about the tow bill? The job loss? The legal fees etc.? These people have suffered losses yet the police departments aren't making folks whole? Not only this but those involved with processing people with a ZERO test need to be punished.

[@settledontheprairie5524]

You’re being asked to trust a system that doesn’t trust you. 😢

[@donpierce7405]

This happens because the grant money for DUI enforcement is based on the number of DUI arrests and not convictions. Promotions are had and careers are bolstered by these arrests.

[@grahammearns5492]

Arrest 1% of police officers for no reason, then sack them. Would they think that was ok?

[@Tom_Losh]

... and continue doing it year after year.

[@philopharynx7910]

I suspect that some departments have quotas. Whoops I'm sorry, they aren't quotas, they are "Key Performance Indicators." And I suspect that they are on DUI arrests and not convictions.

[@stgermain1074]

Some of these folks lost their jobs. They spent thousands of dollars to defend themselves. Whoopsy - charges dropped. Sorry 'bout that.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

This has been going on forever. It happened to me. Towed my car,put me in jail. I blew a 0.00 3 times. Still got 24 hrs. Car towed.

[@davidh4653]

Nice watch! The Breitling Navitimer is a very nice chronograph! Definitely a car guy's watch, with a speed calculator for the outer ring.

[@IdiocracyIsAProphecy]

The most disturbing part is that most of these innocent people who get swept up in this lose their job and never get it back. And the number of people who they're counting as the 'small' 1% are typically only the ones who try to defend themselves legally because a good number of innocent people who get these charges look at how much it will cost to defend, and just enter a guilty plea and pay the fine, which don't get looked at in these stats, so it's likely at least double the number of people. If you think about it, I don't live in a huge town, only about 35-50k people, depending on what time of the year it is (college town). The number of people who get pulled over on average each day is probably a few hundred. If this 1% figure applies here, that's at least 3 people getting their lives ruined for no reason each day, and that's not assuming that the figure isn't higher like I mentioned above..

[@frankieb1951]

The DUI stops is just a racket within a period of six years. I got pulled over twice and was arrested for DUI. Both cases were dismissed before I ever got to court as a higher attorneys and it showed the video and the written report were different. I wanted to go after the officers, but my attorney said all that would happen is his comrades would harass me all the time is best to let it go but it still cost me $15,000 in attorneys fees

[@Dratchev241]

and that is why you document and then hit his buddys with a harassment lawsuit.

[@the_kombinator]

@@Dratchev241 LMAO do you have the time in your life to mess with all these cops?

[@magnetmannenbannanen]

any nation that costed me that much, i would leave behind soo fast. you are being robbed systematically.

[@tubephr34k]

@@magnetmannenbannanenI’ve moved countries 2x and I can tell you there is a 99% chance you won’t. It is too difficult. If people who say this were serious they already would as this is already happening.

[@bobthetitanic]

That sounds like a bad attorney or lazy.

[@booboolips6053]

I would fail some of the physical DUI tests because of a spinal disability I have. So I guess I would be arrested.

[@curtisd6542]

Same. I would refuse fst and go for the breathalyzer

[@aaadamt964]

Same here. I had a major spine surgery in March and have a broken screw in my spine. I can barely get in and out of the car right now. I sure couldn't pass any tests.

[@voiceofreason-ct1nm]

They need to have malpractice insurance to cover the damage they cause

[@christophermatkins]

They are insured thru their badge number

[@theoutspokenscotsman884]

I always wondered why the US uses field sobriety tests, are the states just too poor to just have a breathalyser in every cop car?

[@StephenNatoli-l6j]

Every car has a breathalyzer, we just do stupid antiquated nonsense

[@Eriugena8]

I've done a couple field sobriety tests and their 'ace-in-the-hole' is the test where they tell you to lift one foot off of the ground, and give faulty instructions. They say to lift one foot directly off of the ground. To maintain balance, even while sober, you must align your foot and leg, which is lifted off of the ground, over the other foot which is grounded.