A Tennessee driver was pulled over by police recently. They apparently observed items in the woman's vehicle that aroused suspicion of intoxication. The encounter with Tennessee police ended with her facing drunk driving charges and also drug charges.
Police say the woman may have struck a guardrail while heading down the road. It was also noted that her vehicle was allegedly observed weaving across the road, which prompted the traffic stop. The authorities claim to have seen several pills in the vehicle. The woman reportedly said one of the pills belonged to her child. Two other pills in the car were suspected by police to be Xanax.
The woman submitted to a blood test. The 22-year-old was charged with having a prescription in an improper container and possession of a controlled substance. She was also charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
This particular case remains under investigation by authorities. When drunk driving charges or driving under the influence of drug charges have been filed in a Tennessee criminal court, any blood or breath test administered may be offered as evidence in the case. However, those tests can also be challenged by the defense if the circumstances under which they were administered did not meet minimum standards -- such as a test not given properly or administered by a properly trained individual. Also, the circumstances under which certain items were found or seized may also be called into question, potentially limiting the use of those items as evidence for the prosecution.
Source: harlandaily.com, "Traffic stop results in DUI, drug charge for Tennessee woman", Joe P. Asher, Feb. 3, 2016