Hi,

This is my first post. I'm an ADA in Fannin county, TX. I was wondering if anyone knows where I can sign up for the NHTSA course in Standardized Field Sobriety Test. I'm looking for the same course that law enforcement takes. I've tried searching online but all I get are resumes of defense attorneys who have taken the course. Any help would be appreciated!

It is a policy for our misdemeanor prosecutors to be certified in FSTs. We are lucky enough to be able to send them to the local PD academy to sit with the cadets as they are being trained. I don't know what your jurisdiction is like, but have you checked with your local law enforcement agencies to see if you could train alongside their new officers (assuming they offer it)?

I have considered that and it is probably what I will end up doing. If anyone knows of any other options to take the course, I would appreciate that as well. Thank you.

Fannin County isn't that far from the DFW Metroplex. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (affectionately referred to as "The COG") offers training to officers. Don't know whether they will have the basic SFST course before this time next year. They do have other SFST courses, but most have prerequisites.

NCTCOG SFST Training

The above posters give you your best chances. There is no statewide provider of SFST training. All such training is through local TCLOESE providers. Check with your COG, your PD and SO. Going through the training is a good idea. If they have problems registering you (and not being a peace officer they may) audit the course, you will get just as much out of it, maybe more. Many prosecutors volunteer to be subjects during the "wet lab" as designated drinkers. This was a profound experience for me. And not only because of the free drinks and ride home. Seeing my actual BAC compared to my feelings of impairment gave me a lot less sympathy for the offenders I prosecuted.

I appreciate the responses.

I echo Clay's experience. When I volunteered as a "drinker" about six years ago, they chose to dose me to a .083 - I took it as a great opportunity to self-evaluate my faculties right at the per se line. I remember thinking, "There's no way in hell I'm getting behind the wheel feeling like this." It also gave me much less sympathy for those "barely intoxicated" folks at .08, although through sheer muscle memory and knowledge of the tests I would have been able to convince about half of the cadets to let me go.

Let me know if you need any help. I retired from LE after 28 years and now serve as an adjunct at the Tarrant County College Police Academy, We offer the SFST class about 6 times a year. I'll be glad to speak to my boss about getting you into a class.

FYI, the SFST classes are offered as both "wet" and "dry" classes, In a dry class you only see videos of what nystagmus looks like. In a wet class you actually test drinking subjects. If you are interested in seeing actual nystagmaus make sure you register for a wet class.

Anything I can do to help let me know.

Bob Wall

Tom's right. I, too, was dosed to .083 when I volunteered and the trainees chose not to arrest me 3 out of 4 times. Which taught me that "borderline" folks are probably skating a lot of the time. More importantly, it gave me great faith that an officer is correct when he or she says a person is intoxicated.

I was also a test subject (.083/.091) at a COG training. The officers were divided on arresting me - like Tom, sheer muscle memory from doing the tests meant that "the only thing the officers had on me" was the HGN. (And after that I hated it even more when defense attorneys would say that I had nothing on a case but HGN, because I swear, you can feel your eyes moving - you KNOW.)

(Aftermath: it's pretty sad when an officer might not have arrested me and 4 hours later I'm puking up screwdrivers - that was a bad call on my part. Vodka's never been my friend).