Robert "Chris" Gigstad—our Overland Park criminal defense lawyer at Gigstad Law Office, LLC—has just obtained certification in DUI detection and standardized field sobriety testing (SFST). The attorney earned this certification after recently taking the 24-hour NHTSA/IACP DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing training program. (NHTSA stands for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and IACP stands for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.)
The course provides Attorney Gigstad with in-depth knowledge of DUI testing that will undoubtedly improve his ability to strategically challenge DUI evidence when he is contesting his clients' charges in court.
Standardized field sobriety testing consists of three physical tests that officers administer to drivers on the side of the road when they are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These tests include the walk-and-turn, the one-leg stand and the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test. The results from these tests are commonly used as key evidence in DUI cases.
Attorney Gigstad's DUI detection and SFST training was based off of the new 2013 NHTSA Manual. Here are some of the various topics the lawyer learned about in his course:
- How to identify signs of impaired driving (involving alcohol and other drugs)
- The purpose of SFSTs and the protocols for administering these tests (reinforced in correlation workshops)
- How to properly document SFST observations
- The medical basis of HGN testing
- The scientific foundation of chemical tests (breath, blood and urine tests) and the limitations of these testing methods
- How to properly review police reports
- How to effectively present evidence in the courtroom (reinforced in mock trial sessions)
With Attorney Gigstad's DUI detection and SFST certification, he is now able to provide legal representation that is even more cutting-edge. Contact Gigstad Law Office for a defense lawyer who can skillfully and aggressively fight for your rights after you are arrested for alleged DUI!