Police officers are trained to observe a vehicle in operation and make a determination regarding whether the driver is potentially under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Officers are trained using The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) manuals to note “cues” that identify the most common and reliable indicators that a driver is impaired. They are trained on 24 different clues including: weaving, swerving, driving without headlights at night and failure to make turn signals.
Generally, a police officer’s DUI investigation report will specifically identify the cues that the officer claims he observed. However, the report will not point out the cues that the officer did NOT identify. This is an important fact that can be used to discredit a police officer’s opinion in Court by showing that while he may have observed 3 cues (for example) he did not observe any of the other 21 cues that he has been trained on.
Many people think that when their police report identifies a few cues showing they were intoxicated that their case is a lost cause. However, using the above strategy that isn’t necessarily true. Remember, it isn’t just what is in the police report that is important… what is NOT in the police report is equally important.
The attorneys at Thomas Law Firm have full, up-to-date copies of the NHTSA training manuals (all 14 of them) which contain officer training information that can be used against an officer in order to help your case. Contact us today and schedule a consultation for no charge.
