Cops allowed to draw blood for DUI stops

Crazy. Cops acting as Phlebotomists? With no certification? Even Coumadin clinics require staff to be licensed phlebotomists for just finger pricks.
Somebody will sue, and that will be that. Cities can't afford law suits these days, nobody is paying their property taxes with all the foreclosures.
 
LOL If one ever tried to stick this needlephobe, I'd for sure wind up in jail.

Kidding aside...
Officers can't force a suspect to breathe into a tube, she noted, but they can forcefully take blood - a practice that's been upheld by Idaho's Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
I thought I had seen it all. WTH? That is just ludicrous.
 
LOL If one ever tried to stick this needlephobe, I'd for sure wind up in jail.

Kidding aside...

I thought I had seen it all. WTH? That is just ludicrous.

Maybe tell the cop you have aids? Scare em a little.:crazy:
 
I found this article today while reading The washington times I understand why they want to do it but I am still outraged by them being allowed to do this. Anyone else think this is wrong? http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/14/armed-with-syringes/?feat=home_cube_position3

The first thing that came to mind are the safety issues involved. (It would be a very bad time to discover a "bleeding issue" is present.) IMO, it's not a practice that I'm comfortable with. I applaud officers for getting drunk drivers off the roadway, I just don't feel this is a logical step. Since burglars have been able to sue for being injured during a commision of a crime, how many lawsuits could come from a procedure like this?
 
If they're going to do this, what's stopping them from doing on the spot drug tests? I think the breathalizer is enough to get drunk drivers arrested and off the roads. The blood/urine tests can wait until a lab does them.
 
It costs me an extra $5 every time a medical assistant handles a needle for my cat at the vet! The $5 pays for the additional insurance on the assistant.

And doesn't drawing blood require finding and sticking a vein? I've had nurses require numerous "stabs" before they got it right (and I wasn't intoxicated or resisting).

Now cops are going to be using needles on supposedly drunk suspects?

Or is that the real point? Will officers will be able to add a "resisting arrest" charge for anyone who isn't a good patient?
 
As of 9-1-09, the blood draws are warrantless. There are limitations but I still dont think this will go over well. If I was a cop, "I" wouldnt want the job of messing with other peoples blood. jmo
 
I'm not sure I understand why they can't force someone to use a breathalyzer instead. :confused:
 
I wouldn't think the cops themselves would want have to do it. Don't they haul people into ER's anymore and just have it drawn there?
 
The DUI stands for driving under the influence, while DWI stands for driving while intoxicated. The article states they are looking for people driving with Under the influence of both, Now in virginia they Can charge you with possesion if you test positive from blood test. Weed will show up in people system for 30 days. I think this it a health threat to the public ,a threat to peoples right to privacy and has the potential exposed peoples personal health information,not to mention very costly to the tax payers.
Not only are those factors but the police an sheriffs offices arround the country are full of stories about not so law abiding officers. To give them even if a few the pontential to plant evidence, set people for crimes commited by themselfs or family and friends is aburd. And to say that the ends justify the means is counter productive to the justice system. The cops job is to serve and protect . If they think your drunk they have the right to arrest you . If you refuse to breath test then they can take you to the hospital. They should never ever be in possesion of your dna or blood for any reason EVER. We have a legal system for a reason. To protect agaisnt unfair prosecution, The scariest thing to me is that this the federal goverment asking for this and allowing it.
 
Soulmagent, thank you for your opinion on this. I didn't think of a DNA aspect to this situation, it really could be treading on very dangerous waters.

(I love the great minds here!)
 
I found this article while searching for information on wrongful convictions and thought it was a great example of an existing concern to reinforce my point of veiw. This article has nothing to do with the police forcing blood test on a person (snipped) "This paper also suggests potential concerns over the ‘tactical’ use of DNA evidence during suspect interviews, and the risk of abbreviated police investigations. Insufficiently ‘forensically aware’ police officers may resort to DNA evidence in lieu of proper detective " (unsnip) http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/2/175?andorexacttitleabs=or&tdate=%2F%2F&HITS=10&sortspec=relevance&hits=10&fdate=%2F%2F&andorexacttitle=and&maxtoshow=&andorexactfulltext=and&FIRSTINDEX=10&resourcetype=HWCIT&titleabstract=forensic+fingerprint+dna+cybercrime+psychology+blood+scene+expert+csi+gun+&searchid=1&RESULTFORMAT=1
 
If you're not my physician,you're not getting my blood. The end.
 
They arent giving you that right. They are taking it . For suspected dui but now that they are allowed to take it for that what is to stop them from taking it for anything? They dont need a warrent either. They just have to have probable cause. This also opens up the doorway for police brutality. As many people fight when needles are coming at them from ages 3 to 93.
 
I found this article today while reading The washington times I understand why they want to do it but I am still outraged by them being allowed to do this. Anyone else think this is wrong? http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/14/armed-with-syringes/?feat=home_cube_position3

I absolutely HATE drunk drivers: BIL was run over almost 30 years ago by a drunk driver who landed on top of BIL----then was too drunk to know he'd hit anyone, so he neglected to turn his car off. BIL suffered a shattered pelvis, lost 2" of bone from one leg, had bones broken and sticking out through his skin in numerous places, lost all of the muscle and tissue from one upper arm and shoulder/back area where the engine was cooking him. He was pronounced dead and resuscitated three times in the trauma unit. He endured months of debriding burn treatments, years of physical therapy, and never made a full recovery from the closed head injury. He also will suffer from extreme arthritic pain for the rest of his life.

The guy who hit him was on his 12th DUI or something like that.

However, I am uncomfortable with the idea of some cop sticking a needle into someone's vein in an outdoor situation---there's too much chance of infection, etc. for me to be comfortable with this. This is invasive. (Trying to remember that not everyone who is pulled over is drunk: some will have health issues like diabetes, etc.) There must be some way to improve the breath test. If an officer uses a breathalyzer and it shows the person is not impaired, yet the officer has doubts about the person's ability to drive, he can already have the person taken to a hospital for a blood test.
 
They arent giving you that right. They are taking it . For suspected dui but now that they are allowed to take it for that what is to stop them from taking it for anything? They dont need a warrent either. They just have to have probable cause. This also opens up the doorway for police brutality. As many people fight when needles are coming at them from ages 3 to 93.

In light of the rouge cops we've all heard about, they actually only have to SAY they have probable cause. Make something up. This is just a dangerous practice for health, personal safety and justice. I agree with the poster who mentioned that anyone who "fights" the blood test can probably then be arrested on other charges.
 

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