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Diabetes can lead to low blood sugar levels that mimic those seen during alcohol intoxication, including symptoms like slurred speech, poor balance and impaired motor abilities, as well as appearing drowsy or flushed. Hypoglycemia may even cause someone to fail field sobriety tests due to its effect on breath test machines interpreting acetone present in their mouth as being equivalent to ethanol vapors.
1. Refuse the Breathalyzer
Diabetes, particularly when it causes ketoacidosis, can disrupt DUI breathalyzer results. This is because acetone in diabetic ketoacidosis mimics alcohol on the breath and results in inaccurate readings for blood alcohol content (BAC).
Police looking to pull over drivers for suspected DUI typically look for slow or slurred speech, poor balance and impaired motor abilities, as well as any signs of alcohol consumption on their breath. But medical conditions unrelated to alcohol or drug consumption may also cause similar symptoms of intoxication such as strokes or TIAs which lead to slurred speech and confusion while some medications can cause drowsiness or dizziness causing similar intoxicated-like states.
Law enforcement officers frequently administer field sobriety tests on drivers suspected of DUI. Law enforcement officials require them to stand on one leg, count backwards from ten and perform two additional tests: horizontal gaze nystagmus test and walk and turn test. At these points, officers should ask about any medical conditions which might prevent you from performing these tasks properly – although sometimes officers neglect this question entirely or fail to pose it at all.
An experienced attorney will scrutinize your arrest video to search for errors committed by law enforcement, such as failing to read you the implied consent notice or providing incorrect instructions during field sobriety tests. He’ll also inspect BAC or breath test results and ensure they were valid.
2. Refuse the Field Sobriety Tests
Police officers may mistake drivers with diabetes for drunk drivers if they exhibit symptoms like slurred speech and impaired balance and motor skills, which are often mistakenly associated with alcohol consumption or side effects of certain drugs – however these symptoms could also indicate they’re experiencing medical crisis and not drinking at all.
Field sobriety tests involve physical and cognitive tasks for drivers to perform during field sobriety exams, such as walking in a straight line, balancing on one foot, touching an outstretched fingertip to their nose tip, among others. Though people suffering from diabetic hypoglycemia may perform poorly due to this condition, other factors such as being overweight, wearing nonsupportive footwear/clothing, or poor weather conditions could contribute to inaccurate test results as well.
An experienced Atlanta DUI lawyer can effectively challenge these tests by requesting hospital records, blood sugar logs, medication prescription and statements from your endocrinologist or primary care physician that explain how your diabetic disorder impacts your behavior.
First time DUI convictions in Georgia carry minimum jail sentences of 24 hours and fines of $300; additionally, state mandated alcohol or drug evaluation programs and classes will also apply. Speak with a DUI Lawyer Atlanta immediately so your rights are safeguarded throughout this process.
3. Defend Your Rights
Georgia DUI lawyers can help defend your rights if a police officer acts improperly during a traffic stop, and spot errors in the prosecution’s case against you. An experienced Atlanta DUI attorney can review evidence collected at the stop and determine whether there was probable cause to pull you over; they can also review driving manifestations like slurred speech or blurry vision and determine if these might have been caused by stroke, seizures, multiple sclerosis, or anxiety disorders as possible contributors.
In such cases, lawyers can request hospital records, blood sugar logs and prescriptions as evidence against you. Furthermore, testimony from your endocrinologist or primary care physician regarding your health condition could shed some light on why your behavior at the traffic stop changed; providing jurors with an accurate picture of what transpired during their arrest.
After being charged with DUI, it can be easy to feel helpless, but even serious cases can be successfully challenged or reduced with proper legal strategy. Hiring an Atlanta DUI lawyer and preparing yourself for court procedures like an arraignment hearing and pretrial hearings or trial is key in protecting both freedom and health if diabetic hypoglycemia is misinterpreted as impairment. With legal representation on your side, protecting both freedom and health may become possible!
4. Hire an Attorney
Police officers in Atlanta or its surrounding counties or cities will look out for signs that you are drinking and driving under the influence, such as slurred speech, unsteady gait, confusion and an odor of acetone on your breath – these symptoms could also indicate diabetic episodes which cause hypoglycemia which if misinterpreted could result in false arrest.
If you’re facing DUI charges, you need a criminal defense lawyer who has experience fighting on behalf of clients like yourself. A good defense attorney can help challenge errors that could obstruct your case like improper jury instructions or evidence mismanagement, while their team of legal professionals will look for any violations to your rights such as waiting too long to make an arrest or failing to read implied consent notice.
James Yeargan an Atlanta DUI lawyer and his team are knowledgeable of Georgia DUI laws and have experience uncovering any violations made by officers during your traffic stop and arrest. With thousands of Georgia drivers represented successfully for DUI-related issues in our past cases, we stand ready to defend you against the possible adverse outcomes associated with conviction.
