Recreational Drugs

Recreational drug use can also lead to you being charged with the (a) count after a Ventura County DUI arrest. However, as with prescription drugs, there is no numerical limit with recreational drugs that the prosecution can point to and say that you are over the limit. Additionally, the mere fact that a recreational drug might show up in your blood or urine test is not enough to establish that you were under the influence of that drug at the time you were driving, as the prosecution must be able to prove what you took, how much you took of it, and when you took it.

Additionally, the training that most officers receive in Ventura County DUI investigations typically involves alcohol, and the standardized Field Sobriety Tests they are trained to administer also concern alcohol. An experienced Ventura County DUI attorney knows that there other methods for officers to use to determine whether or not you are impaired by recreational drugs, and knows how to fight the prosecution’s efforts to use your performance on the FSTs against you. For more information on the standardized Field Sobriety Tests, please click here. Lastly, the breath machines used by the officers in a Ventura County DUI investigation only detect the presence of alcohol. If you did not do a blood or urine test, then any recreational drugs you may have used will not show up in your test results. If you did do a blood test, and your alcohol level comes back above a .08%, there is a good chance that your blood will not be analyzed for any other substances, unless of course you admitted to taking them. However, because the Ventura County District Attorney’s office prosecutes DUIs overzealously, you may occasionally be prosecuted for the (a) count in a Ventura County DUI based in part by your own admission of having taken recreational drugs. Having an experienced Ventura County DUI attorney who knows how these cases are prosecuted is essential if you want to have any chance of winning your case.