SFST Legal and Ethical Considerations 2

Question 1

Under the Fourth Amendment, what legal standard must officers meet before conducting an SFST?

Accepted Answer

Reasonable articulable suspicion

Answer

Reasonable articulable suspicion of DUI is required to initiate a traffic stop and request SFSTs.

Question 2

Which Supreme Court case established that roadside sobriety testing does not violate the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination?

Accepted Answer

Pennsylvania v. Muniz

Answer

Pennsylvania v. Muniz (1990) held that physical sobriety tests are not testimonial and do not trigger Fifth Amendment protections.

Question 3

An officer administers SFSTs without informing the suspect they are voluntary in a state requiring advisement. This could result in:

Accepted Answer

Suppression of SFST results at trial

Answer

In states mandating voluntary advisement, failure to inform a suspect can lead to suppression of the test results.

Question 4

Which ethical obligation requires an SFST officer to document and report clues that suggest a driver is sober?

Accepted Answer

Duty of impartiality

Answer

Officers have an ethical duty of impartiality to record all observations, including those favoring the suspect.

Question 5

When an officer's SFST report omits that the suspect was wearing high-heeled shoes during the Walk-and-Turn test, this constitutes:

Accepted Answer

Exculpatory evidence suppression

Answer

Omitting factors that could explain poor performance suppresses potentially exculpatory evidence.

(SFST) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Certified Practice Test