DUI Breath Tests

Forsyth County Georgia prosecuting attorneys and judges defer heavily upon the results of the state administered chemical test - usually the breath test results from the Intoxilyzer 5000 - when determining the plea offers and sentences of those charged with drunk driving ( DUI ). .08 is the legal limit in Forsyth County (and throughout Georgia) for someone over the age of 21. The legal blood alcohol limit is .02 for those under 21. For someone driving a commercial vehicle with a CDL, the legal limit is a .04. But how accurate are these breath tests? Many drivers are shocked to learn after submitting to a breath test that the results are over the legal limit. They may have only had a beer or two and a Forsyth County DUI officer is now telling them that they are well over a .08 and are DUI. These machines are far from accurate. Unfortunately, we cannot know the exact parameters of how they work and their accuracy because the company that makes the Intoxilyzer 5000 (a KY based company called CMI) simply refuses to reveal the programming or source code upon which the machines rely. And Georgia DUI prosecuting attorneys and judges for the most part don't care. They just rely on what the print out from the breath test says. This is troubling when there is so much on the line for a Forsyth DUI conviction. The bright side is that there are things that the best DUI lawyers can do to challenge these results. There are suppression arguments and expert witnesses who can testify as to the validity (or lack thereof) of these breath tests. If you are facing a DUI charge, call Forsyth County DUI attorney Richard Lawson. Mr. Lawson is a tough DUI lawyer who regularly wins cases and gets his clients the best results. Call him today to discuss how he can help your case.