While looking for a book in the library, I came across a book that caught my eye: Attacking and Defending Drunk Driving Tests. Certainly not an upbeat topic, but this book makes it an interesting one. Even though my first skim was only a few minutes long, I learned quite a bit.

I had always been of the mind that being charged with drunk driving pretty much meant you were guilty. After all, a breathalyzer or blood test would give a concrete answer and how can you argue against science? Turns out, there’s more than a few ways to undermine the validity of tests used to determine intoxication level. For example, did you know in many states an officer must watch over the person in question for 15 consecutive minutes before they perform a breathalyzer test? There are many other specific procedures that apply to these tests and this book explains how a small mistake can lead to inaccurate results. A lawyer’s task in these cases is to find these minor errors and use them to convince the jurors the test was wrong.

Besides teaching you the science behind drunk driving tests, this book gives non-lawyers a look into all the details lawyers have to think about for a trial. A great amount of thought goes into things like selecting a jury and making sure expert witnesses don’t portray themselves unfavorably through their body language.

A lawyer must ask questions during jury selection to find out which jurors would be most sympathetic to their case. However, the opposing lawyers can use any questions with an obvious meaning to weed out jurors the other side likes. Because of this, lawyers must ask questions with hidden meanings. The book gives plenty of suggestions regarding how to formulate these questions. This is only one example of what lawyers have to consider and this book gives information and advice on just about every aspect of a DUI case.

 While this book was meant for lawyers handling DUI cases, it’s nonetheless an interesting book for aspiring lawyers or anybody with an interest in law to check out. It gives insight into all the things lawyers have to consider before trial and all the scientific knowledge some areas of law require. Besides that, the scientific arguments that can be used against these intoxication level tests are just plain interesting. Find this book at KFC 477.B3, in the federal section of the library (on the left side when you first come in.)

-Joy
Law Library Intern