Discrediting The Intoxilyzer

The Intoxilyzer is nothing more than a computer.
We have successfully discredited this machine before juries and can do it for you.

Why Alcohol Breath Testing is Unreliable:

The program language which governs the operation of the computer was written by people who set forth basic assumptions to determine how the computer is going to operate. But humans are all different. Some of us are bigger than others. Some of us have faster metabolisms than others. Women are anatomically different from men. The breath test used by the State of Georgia omits the numerous variables that could affect the test results and applies the same standard to people of all ages, sizes, weight, and sex.

However, in order to give the police agencies handy and fast methods for testing alcohol in someone’s blood, the State has approved a breath test machine for that purpose. The State’s own Operator’s Manual points out how men and women differ anatomically and how men and women will have different test results for the same weight and same quantity of alcohol consumed. The Operator’s Manual also states that the machine has a  plus or minus variability of .01 every time it is used.  This means that if your reading is .089 the State’s own material says you could really be .079.  This just is not fair to the public, and especially to the women who are likely to score much higher than men on this breath testing device.

If you want to get an exact measurement of the alcohol in someone’s blood, you should demand a blood test.

What Can You Do?

The Intoxilyzer test must be performed according to procedures set out by law. You may elect to challenge the testing procedures and the accuracy of the blood alcohol tests results. Prior to requiring you to submit to the state designated test, the arresting officer is required to read you specific rights advising you that you have the right to obtain another additional test by a qualified person of your own choosing. In Georgia, if you were not told of your rights, that is grounds to have the state’s blood alcohol test results suppressed (thrown out) in the trial of your case.

Operator Error and Machine Faults:

All work done on the Intoxilyzers must be done by the manufacturer’s representative. State employees do not have the training or facilities to repair the machine. That raises the question, “How do we know whether or not the machines currently in use are functioning properly?” The manufacturer says the machine has a self-checking program, and if the machine is not functioning properly, it will not perform the test. Well, that is debatable. Your attorney should always ask questions about the methods used to check the machine before it is put back into service or performs a test. Morever, this self-checking machine comes with NO WARRANTY, expressed or implied, from the manufacturer. They also deny liability for damages as a result of the failure of parts or workmanship! Your attorney should question the state’s expert on this issue during your trial and make some valueable points with the jury on this NO WARRANTY issue.

The Department of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has designated certain people known as “inspectors” to go around the state and check the machines in service, run specified programs to see if the unit is working, etc. After they check the unit, they sign a certificate, as required by law, certifying that the machine has all of its component parts attached and in good working order.  These “inspectors” are ordinary police officers who have taken a few hours of training to inspect the machines.  Usually during cross examination, they cannot identify all of the component parts of the machine or how they work.  They do not have the training or facilities to check the component parts of the machine to insure that the component parts were operating within the manufacturers specifications.

During the trial of a case we ask the state’s expert witness about the experiments ran which showed that the Intoxilyzer would show a positive result for alcohol after people have eaten bread, yeast and other foods, with no alcohol at all in their bodies. The machine is not as good as the state and manufacturer would have juries believe.

The Intoxilyzer is subject to radio and electrical interference and can give a positive reading for substances other than alcohol. The experienced DUI attorney should always investigate these areas and present appropriate questions to the proper parties to determine whether or not the machine has been calibrated and checked before his client was tested on the Intoxilizer.

Ratings and Reviews

10.0W. Lamar Fields
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