When a person is asked to think of images associated with drunk driving, chances are good that he or she will conjure up images of a person attempting to perform certain “tests” or challenges at the direction of a law enforcement officer. These are known as standardized field sobriety tests, or SFSTs for short. These tests are considered “divided attention” tests that are meant to test your ability to divide your attention by performing several tasks at the same time. Your performance on these tests can provide a law enforcement officer with enough information to arrest you for and charge you with operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI). If you are facing OVI charges in Ohio, contact the experienced OVI defense lawyers at Walker Novack Legal Group, LLC now at (614) 423-8276 to learn more about your legal rights and options.
An officer who is investigating you for OVI can ask that you perform the SFSTs. You do not have to perform any SFST, and you can stop taking the SFSTs at any time. Be aware, though, that “failing” the SFSTs, or refusing to take them at all, may be sufficient for the officer to place you under arrest.
Whether you take the SFSTs and exhibit signs of impairment or you refuse to take the SFSTs, you can still be charged with and convicted of OVI. With the assistance of a skilled Ohio defense attorney, though, you may be able to avoid conviction through a plea bargain or through a defense strategy that attacks the evidence on which the prosecution would rest its case. Speak with Walker Novack Legal Group, LLC during a free OVI case consultation about how your performance (or nonperformance) on the SFSTs impacts your legal options. Call our office today at (614) 423-8276.
Walker Novack Legal Group, LLC
5013 Pine Creek Drive
Westerville, Ohio 43081
P: (614) 423-8276
F: (614) 767-0695