In an effort to combat drunk driving, Dallas Police Officers and the Texas Highway Patrol will have additional patrols on the road this New Year’s Eve, especially in high risk areas. Officers will also be participating in a “no refusal” initiative, requiring suspected drunk drivers to submit to blood samples if the driver refuses to take traditional sobriety tests. San Antonio intends to take this enforcement a step further by implementing “no refusal” intiatives every weekend on a year round basis. These efforts to keep drunk drivers off the road are not without controversy. DUI defense attorneys believe “no refusal” initiatives can actually complicate efforts to prosecute drunk drivers because taking someone’s blood involuntarily can result in motions to surpess based on improper search warrants, thereby keeping evidence gained from the blood tests out of the courtroom.
