Police to use oral drug testing to arrest thousands of motorists (Updated)
A recent article in Detroit CBS Local, reveals that police in five counties are preparing to launch a one-year drug testing pilot program using Drug Recognition Experts (DRE).
"In an effort to combat drugged driving in the state, Michigan State Police say they will launch a one-year oral fluid roadside drug testing pilot program beginning next week."
"For starters, only the following five Michigan counties will be included: Berrien, Delta, Kent, St. Clair and Washtenaw — chosen based on several criteria, including the number of impaired driving crashes, impaired drivers arrested and trained Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) in the county."
What are DRE's you ask?
DRE's are police officers who have been trained by fellow officers to look at a motorists pupils to determine what type of drugs they are on.
If someone you know, accidentally overdosed on drugs and was brought to the emergency room, do you think a doctor could look at their eyes and determine what type of drugs they took?
Of course not.
So why is the justice system allowing this to continue? (To find out more about DRE's click here& here.)
Police will use DRE's to control people's lives
Law enforcement across the country are suspending and revoking millions of people's drivers licenses for things like failure to pay a ticket or taxes.
As I mentioned last week, law enforcement can and will use drivers license suspensions and revocations to control fundamental aspects of citizens daily lives.
Taking away a person's drivers license or suspending it, means people won't be able to 'access their jobs, health care, child care and other fundamental aspects of daily life'.
Updated 11/6:
Court admits DRE's are not experts
According to a recent Ohio Appeals Court ruling, DRE's are allowed to testify even though they are not EXPERTS!
Amanda Diaz's attorney objected to the prosecutor’s question of the DRE officer on the basis that the DRE officer had not been qualified as an expert. The objection was overruled.
The State asked the DRE officer:
“Based on all the data that you gathered, going through your checklist,looking at your matrix, comparing all of that, what if any opinion would you be able to form about whether Ms. Diaz was impaired by any drugs that night?”
The DRE officer magically knew what type of drugs she was on, based on his observations...
“Well, I came to the determination that she was impaired while she was operating that vehicle. And just under the DRE status is a drug defined as any substance that when taken into the human body can impair the ability of a person who can operate a vehicle safely. You know, I felt operating the vehicle at that time at the stop, she was impaired. I came to the conclusion she was impaired on CNS depressants, CNS stimulants and narcotic analgesics.”
Police use DRE's to establish impaired driving policies
Law enforcement plans to use DRE's to establish impaired driving policies.
"Police say the pilot program will establish policies for the administration of roadside drug testing to determine whether an individual is operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance in violation of Michigan law."
What is wrong with this picture?
How can we let police establish impaired driving policies?
Law enforcement does not care, if their policies are flawed of scientifically invalid. All law enforcement is concerned with is ticketing and arresting people, it is the courts job to decide what is admissible.
DRE's are junk science
(Click here & here to watch Parts 2 and 3.)
According to CBS, any motorist who refuses to submit to a DRE will be subject to a civil infraction.
This should serve as a warning to motorists everywhere, it is in everyone's best interest to refuse to submit to drug testing. A civil infraction is far better than a felony drug conviction.
A year-long pilot DRE program will result in thousands of arrests or civil infractions for motorists and will bring in millions of dollars for law enforcement, courts and local budgets.
Our justice system does not care, if hundreds or thousands of innocent people are wrongfully arrested or charged with drugged driving.
It is business as usual in incarceration America.