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5 Police Mistakes That May Lead to DUI Dismissal

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Last Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Read Time: 3 mins

Facing a DUI charge can be stressful and overwhelming. However, you’ve got to keep in mind that being arrested for a DUI doesn’t automatically lead to a conviction, especially if the officers involved made any mistakes when handling your arrest. With the guidance of your DUI lawyer, you can increase your chances of the best possible outcome in your case and possibly even get your case dismissed because of one of the five common police errors in DUI cases below.

DUI Checkpoint that Doesn’t Meet Requirements

Sometimes, police officers fail to follow the rules required for DUI sobriety checkpoints. If the police violate multiple guidelines, the checkpoint could be labeled unconstitutional. Checkpoints must be publicized in advance, supervised, have adequate staffing, have an unbiased procedure in place for stopping cars, have a drug recognition expert on site and have safe procedures in place to prevent the creation of a traffic hazard.

Failure to Show Probable Cause for an Arrest

Outside of a DUI checkpoint, officers must have what is known as probable cause before stopping a driver and arresting them. This means the officers must have a valid reason to suspect you before they pull you over. If they do not, evidence gathered at the time you were arrested could be tossed out of court.

Mistakes with the Breathalyzer Test

A field breathalyzer has an error rate from .005 to .02 percent, and officers can also make mistakes when they are administering them. It’s usually advisable to take this test if you are asked to do so–refusal could lead to more serious penalties down the road–but your breathalyzer could also yield results that are not consistent with your true blood alcohol levels as shown by more reliable tests, resulting in the breathalyzer results being thrown out of court.

Not Able to Show You Were Driving While Intoxicated

As odd as it may sound, it’s not always easy for police to prove to the prosecutor that you were actually driving while intoxicated. If you were in an accident with others and no one saw you driving, for example, you could have been simply a passenger and never had physical control over the car.

Ketosis Test Inaccuracies

Both the popular Keto diet and ketosis stemming from having diabetes can lead to trouble with the breathalyzer results. The metabolic process during which your body burns stored fat for fuel can cause ketones, and they are similar in makeup to isopropyl alcohol. When you take a breathalyzer, the ketones can be emitted via your breath and cause a false positive.

As noted above, there are several mistakes that police can make in your DUI case. Even if these missteps were unintentional, they could allow for key evidence to be removed from consideration in your case. Speak to a lawyer about your case as soon as possible to see if any of the above mistakes could be factors in your defense.

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