Last month, the Massachusetts Appeals Court reversed the Boston Municipal Court’s denial of a defendant’s motion to suppress evidence of his post-arrest breathalyzer test as evidence of his alleged operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The decision examined the regulations applicable to breathalyzer test results and their reliability.
In Commonwealth v. Hourican, the defendant had driven his vehicle into a police patrol wagon. Police observed that the defendant had “glassy eyes” and smelled of alcohol. After failing two out of three field sobriety tests, the defendant was arrested. He then consented to a breathalyzer test in which he produced two breath samples. One sample measured 0.121% blood alcohol content (BAC), and the other measured 0.143%, resulting in a differential between the two samples of 0.022%. Both samples indicated that the defendant’s BAC level was above the legal limit of 0.08%.
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Posted In: Breathalyzer Tests , OUI , Operating Under the Influence
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