How an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Analyzes Blood and Breath Testing Evidence

Have you been charged with driving while ability impaired (DWAI) or driving under the influence (DUI) in the Denver area? You need a defense attorney with substantial experience to begin working with you on your case. There is a new designation for certain DUI defense attorneys that can be extremely beneficial to clients who are facing charges, and that designation is for the ACS-CHAL Forensic Scientist-Lawyer. What is this designation, and how can an attorney with this specific type of designation be beneficial to your case? Consider the following information about how an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist analyzes blood and breath testing evidence and uses that information to build a strong defense in your case.

Analysis Methods for Blood and Breath Testing Evidence

DUI defense attorneys who have the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientists Designation, according to the Division of Chemistry and the Law of the American Chemical Society, are “lawyers who study the science and apply it legitimately in the courtroom.” Further, these attorneys “expose invalid or non-validated science and use valid science in the courtroom.” What do their analysis methods involve?

To receive this designation, lawyers must go through several courses that involve hands-on work to analyze blood and breath evidence. Their expertise and analysis involves all of the following:

• DUI ethanol-based analysis by HS-GC-FID (or Headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection), which is used to identify and quantify volatile organic compounds in both liquid and solid samples that are often taken in blood alcohol concentration testing as well as in testing to determine residual drug solvents (learned through a course on Forensic Chromatography);
• Instrumental analysis of solid drugs in pre-consumption form through FTIR (or Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), colormetrics, microscopy, and thin layer chromatography (learned through a course on Forensic Drug Analysis); and
• Drug pharmacology learning, including instrumental analysis of drugs using GC-MS or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which involves the use of a specific instrument that combines gas-chromatography with mass spectrometry to look for specific samples within a substance that has been obtained, including the detection of drugs (learned through a course on Forensic Principles of DUID).

As you can see from the above, DUI defense lawyers with the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation have obtained “highly specialized knowledge,” according to the Division of Chemistry and the Law, which allows them to bring new scientific analysis and evidence into the courtroom in DUI defense cases. To obtain the designation, lawyers must complete courses related to the three above analysis methods, and then they must pass a proficiency test. The course on forensic chromatography must actually be completed twice.

Contact a Denver DUI Defense Attorney for Assistance with Your Case

If you are facing charges for a DWAI or DUI in Colorado, especially a DUI per se that was charged after chemical testing, it is essential to seek legal assistance from an attorney who has earned the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation for the reasons discussed above. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our experienced Denver DUI defense lawyer at DeChant Law today, who has this important designation and can begin working with you on your DUI defense strategy. Contact DeChant Law for more information.

Source:

forensicchromatography.com/lawyer-scientist/