RI District Court and Traffic Tribunal Case Law

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State of Rhode Island v. Erin Lawrence, C.A. T08-0049 (April 23, 2008)

The Defendant appealed the trial magistrate’s decision to sustain the charged violation of R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-27-2.1 (refusal to submit to chemical test). The Defendant argued that the Officer failed to ask her whether she had any medical issues that would impact her performance on field sobriety tests and that her significant medical impairments in her legs prevented her from passing the tests. The Panel held that though there is no statutory requirement that the Officer inquire about the Defendant’s medical impairments, the Officer testified that he actually did ask the Defendant whether she had any physical impairment. Accordingly, the Panel upheld the trial magistrate’s decision to sustain the charged violation.

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