St. Tammany Field Sobriety Test Lawyer

Trusted Field Sobriety Test Attorney in St. Tammany

What a St. Tammany Field Sobriety Test Proves

A deputy asked you to walk a straight line, balance on one leg, and follow a pen with your eyes. You did it on the side of a dark road, tired and nervous, and now that performance is the reason you are being charged with drunk driving. You need to know if the test was given the right way, and what it means for your case.

Troy Broussard has defended drivers in field sobriety test cases for more than three decades. He trained under the same national protocol St.Tammany officers use to give and score these roadside tests. He does not just read the police report. He checks it against the standard the officer was supposed to follow.

A test that looked bad on the roadside can look very different once we measure how it was run against that standard. In some cases, that difference can be the gap between a conviction and a case that gets reduced or thrown out.

Field Sobriety and DWI Charges We Defend Across St. Tammany Parish

St. Tammany deputies and state troopers use field sobriety tests on drivers stopped across Covington, Mandeville, Slidell, and every highway between them. These tests include walk-and-turn, one-leg stand, and eye movement tests.

We scrutinize these test results and defend drivers facing:

• First-offense DWI arrests
• Felony and multiple-offense DWI charges
• DWI cases involving a crash or an injury
• License suspension hearings after a DWI arrest

What a Failed Field Sobriety Test Can Cost You in a St. Tammany Court

Louisiana law defines drunk driving broadly under La. R.S. §14:98, so a shaky walk-and-turn or a wobble on one leg can become the centerpiece of the state’s case before a breath test ever gets run.

A first conviction can mean a suspended license, court-ordered alcohol classes, and a record that shows up on background checks for years. If you failed or refused a chemical test after your stop, your license can be seized on the spot under La. R.S. §32:667, long before your case reaches a courtroom. Is a few seconds of stumbling on gravel enough to build a conviction on? Not always, and we know how to challenge that evidence before a St. Tammany judge.

How a Certified SFST Operator Reviews Your Roadside Test

Troy Broussard is a certified operator of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) protocol, the same one St. Tammany law enforcement uses on the roadside. He reads your police report the way the officer who wrote it was trained to write it, and he knows which steps in the walk-and-turn, the one-leg stand, and the eye movement test have to be followed for the results to mean anything. He built that knowledge over six sessions at the National College of DUI Defense program, hosted at Harvard Law School, and he has applied it to more than 1,000 DWI cases across Louisiana.

When a test was scored on uneven pavement, in bad weather, or without following the required steps, that detail belongs in your defense. It should not stay buried in a police report.

St. Tammany Field Sobriety Test Questions We Hear and Answer

Do I need to hire a lawyer right away after a St. Tammany DWI stop?

The law does not require you to hire a lawyer. However, if you refused a breath test or failed one, Louisiana gives you a narrow window, typically 30 days, to request an administrative hearing before your license suspension becomes final. Missing that window can cost you your license before your criminal case even starts. Contact us as soon as you can after your stop for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Do I have to perform field sobriety tests if an officer asks?

No. Standardized field sobriety tests are voluntary in Louisiana. Refusing them does not carry the automatic license penalty that refusing a breath test does.

What court will handle my St. Tammany DWI case?

It depends on where the stop happened. Cases from inside Slidell city limits often start in the City Court of East St. Tammany (formerly Slidell City Court). Most others move through the 22nd Judicial District Court at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center in Covington. We handle DWI defense in both.

Can a field sobriety test be wrong even if I passed the breath test?

Yes. Officers often rely on field sobriety performance to justify the arrest before any breath test happens. If the test was scored incorrectly, or given on bad footing or in poor light, that flaw can matter even when the later chemical test is not in question.

What happens to my driver’s license after a DWI arrest in St. Tammany Parish?

If you failed or refused the chemical test, your license can be seized on the spot under Louisiana’s implied consent law. That law treats holding a driver’s license as an agreement to take a chemical test if you’re arrested for DWI. You’ll get a 30-day temporary paper permit. If you don’t request an administrative hearing before that 30 days runs out, the suspension takes effect automatically.

How much does it cost to hire a field sobriety test lawyer?

Cost depends on your charge and how much work your case needs. We offer a free consultation to review your arrest and give you a straight answer about what your defense will take.

Talk to a St. Tammany Field Sobriety Test Lawyer Before Your Court Date

Louisiana gives you a limited window to fight a license suspension after a DWI stop. Contact The DWI Defense Center LLC today for a free case evaluation. Tell us how your field sobriety test went, and Troy Broussard will tell you where it may be challenged and what your legal options are now.