DRE
Columbus DUI attorney Peter Binning is trained in the DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) Program. This program was created to provide officers of the law a way to justify arrests for a DWI that is based on chemicals that are not alcohol. The process for DRE requires that an officer conduct a twelve step test. In order to be arrested for a DUI in Columbus, Ohio, you do not have to have any alcohol in your system. Medications or other illegal substances can lead to you being arrested in this state. It is not a requirement of the law for you to consent to any DRE testing. Call Peter Binning today before taking a DRE evaluation.
Drug Recognition Expert Training
There are three distinct phases of the DRE training program. Pre-School, School, and Field Training. An officer has to complete all three of these phases before becoming certified as a Drug Recognition Expert. Different from the SFST (Standardized Field Sobriety Tests) training, civilians are not authorized to take this DRE training to become certified. However, attorneys, like Columbus DUI attorney Peter Binning, can still receive training from professionals in the DRE procedures. The DRE program itself has some sever flaws, yet is constantly gaining acceptance within the court system throughout the country. The government has spent a lot of money towards training more and more officers in the DRE procedures, on the state and local levels. These courses are ongoing constantly.
The DRE Twelve Step Process
During a DRE examination performed by a certified officer of the law, he or she is supposed to put you through a twelve stop process to determine whether or not you will be arrested for a DWI based on intoxication from a substance other than alcohol. The DRE is supposed to determine whether or not you are impaired, and if so, what type of drug is affecting you. The DRE process includes asking a series of questions about any drugs or medications you may have taken, examining your blood pressure, pupil size, pupil reaction to light, looking over your body for any marks of drug use, and other things that seem medical in nature. However, many medical doctors have not complied with the conclusions that DRE testing provides. Essentially, the DRE examination and twelve step process does not accurately measure the intoxication level of an individual based on substances other than alcohol.
What To Do When Pulled Over
If you are ever asked to submit to any test, including the DRE exam, you should first ask to speak to Columbus DUI attorney Peter Binning. Do not agree to any tests or leave the scene of the stop. The DRE exam was designed to be performed in a controlled environment, not the side of the road.
Do not answer any questions about what medications you are on, even necessary ones. Prescription medications are used to bring people from an abnormal state to a normal one. But the prosecutor will take any such information as an admission of guilt and use it against you during your trial. The DRE exam is completely voluntary, so there is no reason to give the police any ammunition they will use to prosecute you.
Columbus DUI attorney Peter Binning is trained in the DRE process and is familiar with how to defend against it. If you have been arrested with an Ohio DUI, call our offices today for your free consultation.