SCOTUS Limits Drunk-Driving Test Laws

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that suspected drunk drivers can be charged with a crime if they refuse a breathalyzer test, but that the same is not true for blood tests. In order to perform a blood-alcohol test, authorities must have a warrant or consent. As it stood before, 12 states and the National Park Service imposed criminal penalties on drivers they believed to be under the influence who refused to submit to testing. The court determined Thursday that those penalties—with regard to blood testing—violated the Fourth Amendment, which allows a “search” on a person of interest only if they have a warrant.