Court Overturns DUI Conditions

Overturned DUI ConditionsPeople arrested and accused of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) are required to abide by conditions until the case is resolved.  The conditions normally include not to drive without a valid license and insurance, not to have any other law violations, and not to consume alcohol.  Some courts in Washington imposed an additional requirement to submit to random urinalysis tests as a condition of release.  The Washington State Supreme court ruled on October 5, 2017 that forcing a urinalysis as a pre-trial release condition is unconstitutional and constitutes an acute privacy invasion by the Government.

My favorite quote from the Supreme Court states, “it is difficult to imagine an affair more private than the passing of urine…..Most people describe euphemisms if they talk about it at all.  It is a function traditionally performed without public observation; indeed, its performance in public is generally prohibited by law as well as social custom.”

The Court should be applauded for holding the government in check and protecting our privacy interests!