arrest

In the state of Washington, drug crimes can come with a high cost for a suspect that is convicted by the court. Penalties can cost thousands in fines, years behind bars and more. Those found guilty can have their life changed by the sentencing that they are given. These crimes in the past have been handled by the state courts however; some crimes that are committed can break federal laws and will be tried in a different court. The federal court in Seattle is experimenting with their tactics for trying and prosecuting these crimes. They are taking a page from the state courts which use specialized drug programs as a part of their system. This new development gained some assistance being pushed through from the U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez. He also has been involved with developing the treatment plan and what will be required of those that become a part of the program.

It is aimed at those that have less severe charges that committed their crimes out of an addiction to the drug, rather than committing the crime for the mere profit of it. They will have to have no prior sexual or violent offenses in their past, no mental health problems that are uncontrollable and no more than two felonies in order to be eligible. The federal court is commonly thought to only deal with the higher up cases but this will give them influence in rehabilitating convicted individuals. In order to avoid the harsher penalties of a conviction, the individual that is found guilty will need to agree to enter in to the program which will generally run between a year or two. This may benefit them greatly to avoid jail time or higher fines and to enter back in to society. It is expected that the program will start off small and focus on about 10 individuals in the first year. When charged with a crime the best option is to fight against the penalties but in some cases there may be options that can be explored in the negotiations process. Work with a caring Seattle criminal lawyer from our firm to learn more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uses a few tests that are known as the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. These have been reviewed and developed for the purpose of assessing which drivers are under the influence of alcohol while operating a vehicle. The NHTSA has given their stamp of approval for these tests and they have undergone research to determine the level of accuracy for each one. The tests that are used include the One-Leg-Stand, the HGN test and the Walk-and Turn test.

This last one is known by many people and has even been shown in numerous movies, though the details of it are not always accurate. The test has a number of specific rules that will be explained to a suspect and they will need to be carried out in order to pass. The suspect will need to walk a straight line for nine steps, putting one foot directly in front of the other heel-to-toe. After they have gone far enough they will need to turn around on one foot and come back in the same way. This test reviews their ability to divide their attention between performing the physical movements and carrying out the instructions that have been given to them. Their coordination will be reviewed by witnessing if they need to use their arms to balance, remember to put one foot in front of the other, make a wrong turn, take the wrong number of steps or step off of the line.

It is stated by the NHTSA that this tests has a 79 percent accuracy rate for determining who has a blood alcohol content level of .08 or more amongst individuals that show two or more of these difficulties during the test. This however, is speculation and does not always prove true on the field. Many innocent suspects are wrongfully accused. Contact Blair & Kim if you have been charged for drinking and driving, including if you failed a field sobriety test.

Articles Tagged with arrest

New Efforts Taken in Drug Treatment

The Walk-and-Turn Test