What Is a Field Sobriety Test in New Jersey? - Rachel Kugel

From The Kugel Law Firm - What Is a Field Sobriety Test in New Jersey? explains how roadside field sobriety tests are used during DUI and DWI investigations in New Jersey. This episode covers why officers may ask drivers to perform voluntary exercises, what those tests are meant to observe, and why poor performance does not automatically prove intoxication.

Listeners will learn about the three standardized tests in the NHTSA/IACP SFST battery: Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand. The discussion also highlights common defense concerns involving medical conditions, fatigue, footwear, uneven surfaces, weather, lighting, officer instructions, and non-standardized exercises such as finger-count tests, finger-to-nose tests, alphabet recitations, and backward counting.

The episode also explains how New Jersey law treats field sobriety tests differently from chemical breath testing under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.2. It addresses BAC evidence, the 0.08% standard under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, Miranda issues, drug DUI investigations, and how a driver may still face arrest or prosecution based on officer observations even without a breath test result.

Rachel Kugel and The Kugel Law Firm discuss how DUI defense lawyers review dashcam footage, bodycam footage, SFST training, scoring, roadside conditions, and medical records when challenging field sobriety test evidence. Based in Newark at 1 Gateway Ctr, Suite 2600, The Kugel Law Firm represents drivers throughout New Jersey and can be reached at (973) 854-0098.

The Kugel Law Firm

1 Gateway Ctr SUITE 2600, Newark, NJ 07102, United States

(973) 854-0098

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