DUI Blood Tests: Reasons why police decide to get DUI blood test evidence
If you were arrested for an AZ DUI arrest based on your BAC results, does not automatically mean you will be convicted. Good Phoenix DUI attorneys may be able to use the blood test evidence to defend you, and get your charges dismissed.
DUI charges in Phoenix based on Blood Test Results
If you were charged with an AZ DUI in Phoenix based upon your BAC levels from blood test results, you should contact a DUI lawyer or criminal defense attorney who defends DUI charges in Phoenix AZ as soon as possible. The best DUI lawyers in Arizona may be able to find good reasons to challenge the same blood test results to defend your DUI charges. This is done when your DUI defense attorney finds violations and errors in conducting the blood test; processing the results; failure of police to follow prescribed rules of testing, analysis, preservation, or transport. Often your criminal defense attorney can educate the prosecution on the facts, and challenge the blood evidence. This often leads to suppression of that evidence and total dismissal of your DUI charges.
Blood Testing for a DUI Stop
A driver who is stopped in Phoenix AZ for suspicion of drunk driving does not get a choice as to what test the police will conduct. The officer has discretion of using any of three options: Blood, Breath, or Urine testing. Below are some reasons why the police officer may use a blood test as the preferred method of choice:
1) The driver refused to take a breath test. In this event the officer can obtain a court order from an on-duty judge to draw the driver’s blood samples.
2) Some circumstances, if they exist, may cause the driver an unfavorable candidate for a breathalyzer test. For example, if the driver had been vomiting, or belching, it could adversely affect the accuracy of breathalyzer test results.
3) The breathalyzer test was conducted first, and the results were negative for alcohol. However, the police had reason to suspect you were driving impaired. Therefore, they decide to conduct a blood test to determine if there are drugs, chemicals or other toxins that caused the impaired driving.
4) An auto accident was involved; and the suspected drunk driver was either unconscious or otherwise incapable of participating in a breathalyzer test due to severity of their injuries.
AZ DUI Laws – DUI Blood Tests
It is common in Phoenix AZ for the police officer to personally draw the blood sample. However, they must be properly trained phlebotomy to conduct the DUI blood test. Many police departments send officers to get certified.
When the blood is drawn the police should draw a second sample for you to give to your DUI defense Attorney. They then send the sample to their crime lab for processing using a gas chromatograph. The turnaround time is on average 2 to 8 weeks for the crime lab to return the results. The criminal defense attorney has the opportunity to have the blood retested at an independent lab. The defense attorney then examines the processes that took place and compares results against the prosecutions.
The Arizona courts have upheld the legality of a police officer drawing the blood sample as long as they have been properly trained and certified as phlebotomists for this purpose. Strict guidelines apply to conducting, storage, and transport of the blood sample, the blood kits storage; blood kit expiration dates; avoidance of exposure to extreme heat or cold temperatures of their blood kits; chemicals used to clean the driver’s arm before the blood is taken. All of these factors are critical to making sure the blood results are accurate.
DUI Lawyers for Phoenix DUI – Using Blood Results for AZ DUI Defense
During your initial consultation with a Phoenix DUI Attorney, ask if they intend to retest the blood. If so, ask who will be responsible for paying the fee to retest the blood sample. Blood testing in Arizona from an independent lab costs on average $250.00. Many AZ DUI lawyers will take care of that fee as a courtesy to the client. Many blood retests can lead to dismissal of your DUI charges. So even if the Phoenix DUI defense attorney you select does not pay the fee for you, it is well worth the cost to pay for the blood retest. It is very unwise to forfeit the opportunity to have your attorney get the blood retested; examine the process that took place, and compare results. Too many DUI charges have been dismissed due to the challenging of blood results, for it to be ignored. Top criminal defense attorneys in Arizona often find flaws and errors in blood testing and processing; present compelling arguments and challenge the blood test result violations that can lead to a total case dismissal.
If you have been arrested for DUI or criminal charges in Maricopa County contact the Law Office of James Novak, for your Free Consultation at (480) 413-1499. Speak directly with experienced Arizona criminal Defense and DUI Defense Attorney and James Novak (Former Prosecutor). Also visit www.arizonacrimialdefenselawyer.com for helpful DUI and criminal defense information.
The Law Office of James Novak is devoted to defending DUI, Drug & criminal charges in Arizona, valley wide within the Greater Phoenix,, Maricopa County cities including Chandler, Tempe , Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix Metro, and central Phoenix and Phoenix East Valley Arizona.
