In Illinois, the legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08 percent. Police officers use many different means of determining a suspect’s level of intoxication. Field sobriety tests do not measure the exact level of intoxication, but they can be used to detect signs of intoxication like lack of coordination and balance. Chemical blood alcohol tests including breath tests and blood tests can be used to determine a person’s actual blood alcohol content after a drunk driving arrest. However, these tests are not always accurate or reliable. In some cases, evidence in a DUI case is inadmissible and must be thrown out.
Problems with DUI Evidence Can Make Them Unusable
Driving under the influence of alcohol is punishable by license revocation, steep fines, and even jail time in certain circumstances. However, the prosecution must have sufficient evidence to secure a conviction for DUI. Many different issues can make DUI evidence unreliable, including:
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Improper storage of blood tests – Blood testing is considered one of the most accurate ways to determine BAC. However, improper storage of a blood sample allows the sample to decompose, increasing the alcohol content in the sample.
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