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Thursday, November 12, 2015
By Michael Nichols
Categories: OWI
Nichols Law Firm attorney William Livingston (Bill) joined a group of over 40 Michigan attorneys in Detroit on October 23rd and 24th for a seminar to learn drunk driving investigation techniques from former law enforcement officer and trainer Lance Platt, PhD. The group is called MIAOWIA (Michigan Association of OWI Attorneys) and it holds regular meetings to discuss drunk driving legislation and learn how to better defend clients facing drinking and driving charges.
At the seminar, the attorneys were trained on how officers are trained to investigate and develop signs of impaired and intoxicated driving, what clues to look for when speaking with a driver who is suspected to be under the influence of alcohol and how to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs). The attorneys were trained in the administration of the SFSTs with the same National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) handbook and instructional materials used to train law enforcement officers in the State of Michigan.
The attorneys performed field sobriety tests on one another and learned how the tests were chosen by NHTSA to become the 3 standardized tests used in drunk driving investigations. At the end of the seminar, the attorneys were all required to take a test, just as law enforcement officers would, in order to receive NHTSA certification. Bill Livingston passed his test and his now NHTSA certified.
The seminar was taught by Dr. Lance Platt, a former law enforcement officer and trainer turned academic scholar and expert witness. Livingston, who practices primarily in East Lansing, said of the seminar “Dr. Platt was a great instructor and this seminar really improved my understanding of drunk driving investigation techniques. This experience will ultimately make me more prepared to defend my clients in drunk driving cases.”
Any attorney in Michigan can join MIAOWIA or attend their events in the future. For the attorneys who dive head first into the training techniques of law enforcement and who are committed to results, call the Nichols Law Firm at 517.432.9000