In some circumstances, criminal suspects may have a right to counsel before they have been arrested. This is generally when the suspect is about to make a decision that will could impair their defense in a critical stage of the case. Is deciding whether to submit to a DUI blood test such a situation? What if the police have a warrant?
Do you have a right to talk to a lawyer before a DUI blood test?
Asbestos-related deaths reaching their peak in the UK
According to the Guardian, the death toll from asbestos-related diseases in the United Kingdom has reached crisis levels. After decisions to allow the use of asbestos between the 1950s and 1970s, the U.K. is experiencing record numbers of deaths from the diseases it causes. Along with Australia, the U.K. has the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world. Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer that is exclusively caused by asbestos exposure.
Don't buy these three bike helmets; they've failed safety tests
When you or your child is riding a bike, it's crucial to wear a helmet. Riding without one risks a serious head injury. Consumer Reports' product safety experts say you should replace the helmets listed below immediately if you have one. However, it's better to ride with a poorly performing helmet than to ride with no helmet.
Peñafiel bottled water recalled for violative arsenic levels
In April, Consumer Reports published an investigation into Peñafiel bottled water, which is produced by Keurig Dr. Pepper. CR's tests discovered, on average, 18.1 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic in Peñafiel, which was tested three times. CR notified Keurig Dr. Pepper, which admitted that its own tests had found similar levels -- 17 ppb. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's standard for arsenic in bottled water is 10 ppb.
SCOTUS: Warrant not needed for blood draw on unconscious driver
In the 2013 case of Missouri v. McNeely, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that subjecting someone to a blood test, which involves a needle stick, is much more intrusive than subjecting them to a breath or urine test. Therefore, it is a more serious intrusion into the person's Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Could you pass a field sobriety test?
Scholars and analysts who study the criminal justice system have long had concerns about the validity of commonly used field sobriety tests.
Police continue to use such tests as indicators about whether someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As we will discuss in this post, however, there are several serious problems with this approach.
Potentially faulty blood test vials could jeopardize DUI cases
At least 7,800 DUI and other cases involving blood tests could be in jeopardy in Houston alone after a recall of blood testing vials. The Houston Forensic Science Center announced recently that a small portion of a lot of 240,000 vials were manufactured without a required preservative that keeps blood from clotting in the vials.
If blood tests are performed in vials without the anti-clotting agent, the blood alcohol results could appear lower or higher than they actually were. That potential inaccuracy could lead to thousands of cases being thrown out of court.
Playgrounds with crumb rubber from recycled tires may be toxic
It seemed like such a good idea. Old tires could be recycled into crumb rubber and used in playgrounds and on sports fields, replacing grass, sand or gravel. It would require much less maintenance and could keep tires out of landfills. The rubber would also be softer than sand or gravel, reducing the chance of injuries.
Unfortunately, there are serious concerns about how safe crumb rubber from recycled tires may be for our children. Recycled tires can contain a number of toxic chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toluene, along with heavy metals like lead and manganese.
Are seatbelts failing Tennessee's most vulnerable passengers?
Tennessee law says that your kids need to sit in your vehicle's rear seat until they're at least nine years old. This is because the rear seat has long been the safest place during crashes. But it's possible that the rear seat may no longer be the safest place for all passengers.
According to The New York Times, recent advances in seatbelt technology have made the front seats safer than the rear seat for some passengers. Young children are still safer in the rear, but people over the age of 55 should sit in the front of vehicles with newer seatbelts.
Common beauty products can be hazardous to children
A recent study in the journal Clinical Pediatrics found that children under 5 are being sent to the emergency room, on average, every two hours for cosmetics-related injuries. About 60% are kids under two.
For this study, the researchers considered data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from between 2002 and 2016. During that time, 64,686 children under 5 were treated in the ER for injuries related to beauty products.
