Law Offices of Thomas Wallin
CONTACT US
Be assured your matters will be in experienced & caring hands.
9891 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
Toll Free: (888) 444-7210
Tel: (949) 679-9494
Fax: (888) 444-7211
We offer credit card processing & payment plans.
ABC Test
Another test sometimes used by police investigating a DUI is the ABC test. During this test, the officer instructs the driver to recite or write the alphabet while standing with his or her feet together and arms down. The officer watches the driver for signs of intoxication, including starting the test too soon, an inability to follow directions, slurred speech, or an inability to write or recite the alphabet correctly.
Police may believe that everyone knows their ABCs, but it is easy to make a mistake. Anyone would be nervous or worried after being forced from a car along a busy street or highway. Whether you make a mistake because you are nervous or just distracted by the surroundings, the police can interpret mistakes as mental impairment due to alcohol. The ABC test isn’t even really a test, because the driver is doomed to fail regardless of mental or physical condition.
The ABC test is an unreliable indicator of mental and physical impairment and is not even recognized as a standardized field sobriety test by the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHSTA). Because the ABC test isn’t recognized by the NHSTA, it carries less weight in court than standardized field sobriety tests, and an experienced DUI attorney can demonstrate that the results could just as easily show that the driver was not impaired.
The results of field sobriety tests can be challenged in court. Don’t assume that the police officer’s conclusions are determinative of your guilt. The best way to fight a California drunk driving charge is with the help of a lawyer experienced in defending DUI / DWI charges
Police may believe that everyone knows their ABCs, but it is easy to make a mistake. Anyone would be nervous or worried after being forced from a car along a busy street or highway. Whether you make a mistake because you are nervous or just distracted by the surroundings, the police can interpret mistakes as mental impairment due to alcohol. The ABC test isn’t even really a test, because the driver is doomed to fail regardless of mental or physical condition.
The ABC test is an unreliable indicator of mental and physical impairment and is not even recognized as a standardized field sobriety test by the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHSTA). Because the ABC test isn’t recognized by the NHSTA, it carries less weight in court than standardized field sobriety tests, and an experienced DUI attorney can demonstrate that the results could just as easily show that the driver was not impaired.
The results of field sobriety tests can be challenged in court. Don’t assume that the police officer’s conclusions are determinative of your guilt. The best way to fight a California drunk driving charge is with the help of a lawyer experienced in defending DUI / DWI charges
Case Results
1st offense DUI in North Court (Fullerton) – Client had a BAC of .10 reduced...
1st offense DUI Under 21 BAC 0.16 Harbor Court (Newport Beach) – Client was in the Fire Academy and facing both DMV and criminal charges...
3 arrests for DUI in a 3 month span. All cases out of Orange County...
Felony Case Results.... Read More
Learn More
