Police stops are nerve-wracking in the best of times but become more stressful when the officer starts asking questions about the consumption of alcohol. Many drivers were raised to answer questions from an authority figure, so an officer's direct question may get a...
DUID
Law enforcement geared up for DUI push
The Labor Day weekend is fast approaching. Many see it as the unofficial end of summer, with cooler temps on the horizon. The three-day holiday weekend also is the final big push for DUI enforcement by law enforcement across the country. Here in Colorado, Colorado...
How do police decide to make an arrest for marijuana DUI?
Everyone is aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Everyone knows that if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is measured at .08 or higher, you’re going to be charged with a DUI. But what about DUI charges involving marijuana use? This has been a persistent...
How accurate are breath tests?
Most officers in Colorado rely on breath tests to build their case, but the field sobriety tests that they use may not give accurate readings. These false positive or inaccurate results can put drivers at risk of unnecessary charges and harsher penalties. Colorado...
DUI detection tool a deterrent, but sometimes also a danger
There has always been more than a modicum of controversy surrounding ignition interlock devices.As many of our readers in Denver and across Colorado know, those miniature on-board breathalyzers assess the alcohol consumption level of select drivers when they get...
Spotlight on impaired driving in Colorado enforcement campaign
Colorado is at the vanguard of American states that have liberalized marijuana laws. The allowance given state residents to use pot for recreational and medicinal purposes means that consumers can drive under the influence, correct?Any such personal assessment is...
Standardized test for marijuana intoxication still elusive
The Colorado Department of Transportation says that "any amount of marijuana consumption puts you at risk of driving impaired" and warns that you cannot judge your own level of impairment. The official DUID threshold for marijuana is five nanograms of active...
Looking for a better DUID standard in Colorado, Part 2
A Colorado marijuana advocacy group is, like legions of residents and motorists across the state, less than enthralled with the legal presumption -- the "permissible inference," as termed in our September 8 blog post -- that any motorist with at least five nanograms...
In search of a meaningful “too high to drive” test
We note on our website the firm yet clearly unsatisfactory "5 ng or greater" standard applicable to drivers in Colorado who are suspected of driving after having smoked marijuana. We point out at Shazam Kianpour & Associates in Denver that a motorist found to have...
Is CO’s 5-NG THC limit a reliable measure for impaired driving?
The recreational use of marijuana may be legal under Colorado law, but that doesn't mean you won't be arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs (DUID) if you smoke pot before getting behind the wheel. In fact, Colorado law expressly states that there is...