Blood and Breath Tests

Olive Branch DUI Lawyer on: Breath Machine Certification

In a previous article I wrote about Mississippi’s Intoxilyzer breath test machine. Today, I’m going to discuss how this device is calibrated and certified to be in proper working order. If you’ve been charged with DUI in Olive Branch or Desoto County, part of your defense may rest on the reliability of the breathalyzer. Mississippi…

Horn Lake DUI Lawyer on: Mississippi Breathalyzers

If you’ve been charged with DUI in Horn Lake, Southaven, Olive Branch, or the rest of North Mississippi, you were asked by the police to take a test to determine your blood alcohol content, basically the amount of alcohol in your system. The police have the right to do this under Mississippi’s implied consent law….

Olive Branch DUI Lawyer on: Blood Testing in Mississippi DUI Cases

The testing of a driver’s blood for blood alcohol content in Mississippi DUI crimes is becoming more common, and is considered more accurate than breath testing. But because it is such a complex, exact science, blood testing has its own problems which can lead to an invalid test result (which can be good news for…

Southaven DUI Lawyer on: The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test

The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test (HGN) in Mississippi is a field sobriety test designed to measure a driver’s impairment due to alcohol or drugs. It measures the degree of nystagmus (or involuntary jerking) in the eyes and the lack of smooth pursuit as a driver follows an object visually without moving his or her head….

Southaven DUI Lawyer on: Driving or operating a vehicle

In Mississippi, to be convicted of DUI, the state must prove that you were operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Understand that driving and operating are two different things. When the state legislature wrote this law they weren’t just repeating themselves with these words. They have different meanings and…

Southaven DUI Lawyer on: Breath Machine Challenges

If you’ve been charged with drunk driving in Southaven, MS or other parts of Desoto County, one of the issues you may be facing is the breath test reading. Everyone arrested for DUI in Mississippi will be asked to consent to a test of either their breath, blood or urine. In Southaven, the standard procedure…

Horn Lake MS DUI Lawyer on: Trials in municipal court

If you’ve been charged with a DUI offense in Horn Lake, Southaven, or other parts of Mississippi, your case is going to start in the municipal court. Municipal courts are sort of the lower tier courts where all cases begin. Misdemeanor cases, like most DUI offenses, will be resolved here either through a negotiated plea…

Horn Lake MS DUI Lawyer on: Preparing for your trial

In the article Horn Lake MS DUI Lawyer on: Preparing for your trial, I explained the procedure for a DUI trial in municipal courts in Mississippi, now I’m going to talk about what needs to be done before the trial. This is the preparation time, and it’s the most important part. This could be where…

Mississippi DUI Non-Adjudication

The Mississippi DUI non-adjudication process is an excellent way for qualified individuals who have been charged with drunk driving to avoid a permanent conviction. There are many steps involved and you have to meet specific criteria, so let’s take a look at how this law works. Non-adjudication has been available in Mississippi for many years…