RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) in California DUI Breath Tests
RFI can lead to false blood alcohol readings and wrongful DUI arrests… It can also provide a successful defense strategy.
Our Los Angeles DUI Lawyers observe that the majority of California DUI arrests and prosecutions depend on evidence of a person's blood alcohol content (BAC). To produce this evidence, law enforcement agencies almost always rely on machines that use some electromagnetic technology to convert a measurement of breath alcohol content into a BAC.
Notably, science continues to confirm that these machines "pick up" radio frequencies sent out by other devices which then interfere with the accuracy of their BAC readings. Devices that produce RFI (radio frequency interference) in California DUI Breath Tests include cell phones, radio transmitters, and even refrigerators and microwave ovens... any of which could be nearby when officers are taking a DUI suspect's breath sample.
As a result of RFI in California DUI breath tests, machines may state that alcohol is present in a DUI suspect's system when it's really not... or they may produce readings that are falsely high.
Bottom-line: our Los Angeles DUI Lawyers have seen these errors lead to wrongful DUI arrests and charges. However, revealing these errors can "torpedo" the prosecution's most important evidence. That's why we always determine whether what we know about RFI in California DUI breath tests could benefit the DUI defense we're building on a client's behalf.