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Government Evidence in DC DUI Trial

In the District of Columbia, DUI cases are prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General. This is a prosecutorial agency that is specific to traffic matters, juvenile cases and a small list of other misdemeanor cases. They do not handle any felonies and the District of Columbia does not have any felony DUIs.

The attorney general will have a specific assistant attorney general who handles the prosecution and government evidence in DC DUI trial. To learn more about the common evidence and witnesses the government may use in your case, contact a capable driving under the influence attorney right away.

What Must the Government Prove in Their DUI Case

In a DUI case, the government needs to show that the defendant was in actual physical control of a vehicle, that the defendant was impaired to a noticeable degree based upon the prior consumption of alcohol or drugs. To establish those requirements for government evidence in DC DUI trial, they need to present one or more police officers as witnesses to testify as to their observations. They are required to establish that the defendant was in actual physical control of the vehicle. The courts have deemed that to have actual physical control, it is fact-specific but the government needs to prove that foremost.

What is the Role of Law Enforcement?

The government may present police officers as witnesses to testify on what they observed, specifically as to whether or not the defendant was in actual physical control of a vehicle in the District of Columbia and then they will testify as to what signs and symptoms of impairment that they observed. If they did subject the defendant to standard field sobriety tests, they will testify about the results of those tests.

Commonly Used Government Evidence in DC DUI Trial

Police have been using body-worn cameras in their stops and investigations. To the extent that there was body-worn camera footage utilized in operation by the police, and that can be helpful for the government to demonstrate to a judge or a jury that this individual defendant was, in fact, impaired.

Any statements that the defendant might have made, they will want to introduce that evidence because. Often times a defendant will admit to having consumed alcohol or drugs prior to driving.

Understanding the Impact of Chemical Testing

Chemical testing includes breath tests, blood tests, or urine tests. If there were any chemical tests done prior to the case, the government will seek to introduce the results of those tests if it helps prove that defendant was under the influence of drugs.

The government may try to introduce any and all evidence that goes to show that this defendant was operating a vehicle in the District of Columbia after the consumption of drugs or alcohol such that their ability to drive or rather operate the vehicle was impaired. To learn more about government evidence in DC DUI trial, chemical or otherwise, contact a well-versed drunk driving attorney right away.