On November 5th, 2014, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) unveiled what they believe to be "the next generation of breath testing instruments."  Prior to this announcement, the only breath test devices used in our state's police precincts were the Datamaster & Datamaster CDM (which had been used for close to 30 years).  However, the so-called "new" Draeger 9510 will now be slowly implemented in law enforcement precincts across Washington State. While our state patrol issued a media release of the change in breath testing devices on November 5th, 2014 the DUI defense attorneys at Veitch Ault & Associates have known about such since 2010.  While the state patrol contends to have waited four years to "integrate the new method into its law enforcement process, including updating the user interface for officers," suspected problems with the Draeger 9510 may be responsible for the delay.  While many DUI attorneys are concerned about how to address a machine that uses dry gas rather than a liquid solution to verify the accuracy of an alleged breath test, we believe the implementation of the Draeger could cause problems for WSP, while also causing increased suspicion concerning the Datamaster.  As of the November 5th, 2014 WSP Media Release, the state had only eighty-three Draeger 9510 devices.  Thus, it will be some time until the Draeger is the sole device used in our state. While WSP contends that the change in devices was made pursuant to a yearning to cut down on "data entry errors" and a scarcity of parts, it is a known fact that a former WSP employee referred to the Datamaster as "obsolete" while employed with the agency.  While the attorneys at Veitch Ault & Associates are already preparing how to address issues with the Draeger, we believe that challenging breath test results on the Datamaster may have just become easier.  In other words, if the Datamaster is accurate and to be trusted, why in the world would our state spend millions of dollars on an entirely new breath test model? One's alleged breath test level can be the most damaging evidence in a DUI case.  Thus, when deciding on a DUI defense attorney, it is imperative that you hire someone who is highly skilled and knowledgeable about the intricacies of both the Datamaster and the Draeger.  Regardless of the breath test device used, the attorneys at Veitch Ault & Associates are prepared to challenge this evidence.

To discuss your case with an experienced King County DUI attorney, contact Veitch Ault & Associates at 425-452-1600.