[andyk]

They already do it here in Idaho - it’s supposedly authorized by the individual when they sign for the license.

[doc1019]

This will be challenged forthwith by the ACLU and many other civil rights groups.

[sergeantdave]

It’s coming to the point where we’ll need to spill leftist blood before they start obeying the constitution.

ps - We know where you live.

[AlmaKing]

No.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Breathalyzer tests can be off by +/- 20% or more. Even assuming the best equipment, and proper administration; a breathalyzer is not a perfectly reliable measure of BAC. That's because breathalyzers don't measure blood alcohol content -- they measure the concentration of alcohol vapour in the lungs, and apply a mathematical formula to that measurement, to come up with an estimated BAC.

If you've already submitted to a breathalyzer (and, assuming you haven't abused other drugs); and failed that test by a small margin -- it might actually be in your interests to demand a blood test. The blood test might exonerate you. (Don't do this if you know you've been drinking a lot -- the blood test may also give you a higher reading.)

[smokingfrog]

The DA here in Houston has said she will do the same thing. The program to train police officers to draw the blood samples (using federal funds) was canceled by the mayor, but they say they are still prepared to use trained medical personnel to take samples during "No Refusal Weekends."

Maybe in a situation where there is an accident where death or serious injury is involved, I could see taking a blood sample without your permission, but otherwise I'm not so sure.

Supremes Pass On Fourth Amendment DUI Case

[chilltherats]

Just another government rape of freedoms.

I hate drunk/drugged drivers. They’re a menace and need to be horsewhipped.

That said, if someone refuses to take a BAC test, suspend their license.

Forcing somebody to give a blood test will be okay in my book when queers are held down and forced to give a blood test for HIV, which will be when Hell freezes over.

[VADoc1980]

Help me out here, the article was a bit confusing. Are the police blood testing suspects who refused to take the handheld breathalyzer after being pulled over? Or are they testing people who already blew over the limit on the handheld breathalyzer? If it’s the latter, I have no real problem with it. If it’s the former, I have a real problem with it. The idea that the police can hold you down and take your blood strikes me as downright totaliarian and immoral. There’s gotta be a simple way to deal with this problem without trampling on people’s rights. Are breathalyzers down at the police station as inaccurate as the handheld methods? If you consent to the breathalyzer and it shows you above .08 but you know there’s no way you were above .05, do you then have the right to get a blood test? If it were me and I knew I wasn’t over the limit (and I almost never drink), I probably would refuse the breath test too for fear it could pop me.

[jarofants]

I was watching one of them shows on TV (I think the name was Jail) and they were taking a guys blood forcefully. I don't think that's right. They had 5 or 6 guys holding him down, and his face was all beat up from the cops beating him earlier.

[MNDude]

But yet, in the state of MN, it’s against the law to ask for ID from those voting.

[dools0007world]

First, I wonder what happened to my right to not incriminate myself?

That said, chronic drunk drivers are a problem. We all know that. So I guess I could reluctantly accept this intrusion of my rights if it did anything to keep drunk drivers off the road. But it most decidedly does not. All it does is generate revenue.

If you’ve ever sat in a traffic court (my ticket was dismissed thank goodness) the people who’re there for drunk driving are multiple (4,5,7 and more times) offenders. These people have chosen to be outlaws and they’re comfortable with that. They only come to court to avoid jail time—which the courts repetively grant them. So the law is absolutely worthless as a means to make our roads safer.

IMHO it is far better to refuse the breathalizer than to submit. A drunk driving offense will hurt you more point and insurance wise than a reckless or careless driving charge.

[Ron H.]

I see - state law trumps the Constitution now. Even the 4th Amendment regarding unreasonable search and seizure.