Federal Funds Fuel Nationwide Increase in “No Refusal” Blood-Draw DUI Checkpoints
BenSwann.com often reports on various “no refusal” DUI checkpoints that are being implemented periodically by police in states across the US, at which motorists who are suspected of driving under the influence and refuse a breathalyzer test are sometimes forced to submit to a blood test against their will. In fact, ABC 22 reports that such checkpoints are being implemented this weekend in Ohio. As it happens, the fact that these policies have been emerging in an increasing number of states and counties nationwide is not just a trend. According to USA Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a bureaucracy in the executive branch of the federal government under the Department of Transportation, has been providing state and local government agencies with grants and tool kits to set up “no refusal” blood-draw weekends.
At these checkpoints, drivers are examined by police while sitting in a line, meaning officers do not have the ability to watch for signs of impaired driving and instead are forced to look for less meaningful cues of impairment, such as reddened eyes or other physiological reactions that could be caused by a wide range of other circumstances. It is reasonably conceivable that someone coming home after a long work shift might be fine to drive but suffering from reddened eyes and, when asked to submit to a breathalyzer after driving safely, might wish to refuse on the basis of being uncomfortable with waiving his or her rights or annoyed by the inconvenience. In such a situation, a judge or judicial assistant called a magistrate would provide a warrant via telephone for a forced blood extraction procedure.