Los Angeles DUI Citation for DeWitt Cited

Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys work tirelessly to represent people who are charged with a DUI after a field sobriety test.  No one is exempt from such tests, not even celebrities.

Former "Three's Company" star Joyce DeWitt was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol following a field sobriety test administered after the actress was stopped Saturday in El Segundo.  DeWitt, who played Janet Wood on the popular 1980s sitcom, was observed by officers at a police barricade to be exhibiting signs of drinking.  DeWitt was booked at the local police station then released on her own recognizance. 

Field sobriety testing is one of the most contentious points in cases of driving under the influence, particularly in Los Angeles.  Any experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney will tell you that field sobriety tests, commonly referred to as FSTs, are some of the most inaccurate ways to determine the level of sobriety of a driver.  Some common field sobriety tests administered by Los Angeles police include walking a straight line and turning, standing on one leg while counting, reciting the alphabet, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test in which the administering officer asks a subject to follow an object or light with just their eyes.  The major problem with these types of tests is that they are inconclusive and completely subject to the administering officer's judgment.  Lack of sleep or minor ailments such as cold or flu can easily make someone less alert and able to focus than normal while common ear infections can seriously affect a person's sense of balance. 

In many cases, people arrested and cited for driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol feel they passed the field sobriety tests given to them, but the decision to cite for DUI is left only up to the Los Angeles police officer on the scene.  The only certain way to determine if someone is driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol is to test the blood alcohol content in a blood sample.

If you have been cited for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs following a field sobriety test, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today.  Do not let your reputation become tarnished by highly subjective field sobriety tests.