What if a Breathalyzer test shows a Los Angeles resident's blood-alcohol content to be only slightly higher than the legal limit? Isn't it possible that the test is just inaccurate enough that police jump to conclusions, charging a suspect with DUI even if that person's real blood-alcohol level is below the legal limit? Of course, it's possible.

In fact, Breathalyzers and other breath test technologies have continually been shown to be far less accurate than police and prosecutors would have the public believe. If a breath test isn't calibrated properly, the technology could show an inaccurate reading that suggests that a California driver is drunk when that just isn't the case.

Additionally, police officers in California often record the results of a field sobriety test in order to make the best case possible for arresting a driver. These tests are meant to record a person's motor coordination skills and physical balance. But don't the majority of people demonstrate a range of motor skills just when they're walking down the street, clearly sober? Additionally, field sobriety tests are conducted under a variety of conditions, such as on rough ground or in the rain. Such conditions are likely to have a considerable effect on the results of such a test. And police officers are often too ready to take a nervous person's simple slip during a field sobriety test and attribute the act to drunkenness.

Many DUI arrests involve a multitude of factors, not all of which confirm that person is guilty of drunk driving, and some of which may suggest the exact opposite. People in Los Angeles who have been accused of DUI will want to make sure that all of their rights are upheld, and that a life-altering conviction doesn't result from a faulty field sobriety test.

Source: turnto23.com, "How To Fight A DUI Charge," Ed Greenberger, Jan. 4, 2012