DRE Professional Standards & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A DRE officer discovers during an evaluation that the suspect is a personal acquaintance. What is the most appropriate action?
- Complete the evaluation since personal knowledge may help accuracy
- Recuse yourself and request another qualified DRE officer (Correct answer)
- Proceed but disclose the relationship in the final report
- Consult a supervisor before deciding whether to continue
Correct answer: Recuse yourself and request another qualified DRE officer
A DRE must recuse themselves from evaluations involving personal acquaintances to avoid bias and maintain the integrity of the process.
Question 2: Under IACP DRE program standards, how must a DRE officer treat the Drug Influence Evaluation (DIE) form?
- As an internal document not subject to disclosure
- As a legal document that must be completed accurately and retained (Correct answer)
- As a guideline that can be adapted to individual judgment
- As optional documentation when the case is clear-cut
Correct answer: As a legal document that must be completed accurately and retained
The DIE form is a legal document that must be completed accurately and preserved as part of the official case record.
Question 3: Which behavior would constitute a violation of DRE professional ethics regarding toxicology results?
- Submitting blood samples to an accredited lab
- Altering an evaluation opinion after receiving a negative toxicology result without new clinical evidence (Correct answer)
- Revising an opinion when new medical information is provided
- Documenting a discrepancy between evaluation findings and lab results
Correct answer: Altering an evaluation opinion after receiving a negative toxicology result without new clinical evidence
Altering an opinion based solely on a lab result without new clinical evidence undermines objectivity and constitutes an ethical violation.
Question 4: A DRE officer is called to evaluate a suspect in a jurisdiction where they are not certified. What must the officer do?
- Proceed if requested by the investigating officer
- Decline and advise that a certified local DRE should be summoned (Correct answer)
- Conduct the evaluation informally without documenting as a DRE evaluation
- Only conduct the evaluation if supervised by a local officer
Correct answer: Decline and advise that a certified local DRE should be summoned
DRE evaluations must be conducted by officers who hold current certification valid in the applicable jurisdiction to ensure legal and professional compliance.
Question 5: What is the ethical obligation of a DRE when testifying if defense counsel challenges the DRE protocol's scientific validity?
- Refuse to answer questions about the science behind DRE
- Acknowledge the peer-reviewed limitations while accurately presenting your findings and qualifications (Correct answer)
- Assert that the DRE protocol is infallible to support the prosecution
- Defer all scientific questions to the prosecutor
Correct answer: Acknowledge the peer-reviewed limitations while accurately presenting your findings and qualifications
A DRE must testify truthfully, including acknowledging recognized limitations, while accurately presenting their findings and qualifications.
Question 6: Which situation requires a DRE officer to notify their agency's DRE coordinator?
- Completing a routine impaired driving evaluation
- Failing to maintain recertification requirements before the deadline passes (Correct answer)
- Evaluating a subject who invokes their right to remain silent
- Conducting an evaluation that results in a drug-free opinion
Correct answer: Failing to maintain recertification requirements before the deadline passes
Lapsing in recertification must be promptly reported to the DRE coordinator because it disqualifies the officer from conducting evaluations.
Question 7: When a DRE officer is pressured by a supervisor to find a specific drug category in an evaluation, the officer should:
- Comply because supervisors have command authority over DRE conclusions
- Document findings objectively and report conclusions based solely on clinical evidence (Correct answer)
- Refuse to complete the evaluation and walk away
- Consult the prosecutor before finalizing the opinion
Correct answer: Document findings objectively and report conclusions based solely on clinical evidence
DRE officers must base their opinions exclusively on clinical evidence regardless of command pressure, as objectivity is a fundamental professional standard.
DRE Professional Standards & Ethics 2
A DRE officer discovers during an evaluation that the suspect is a personal acquaintance.
What is the most appropriate action?