Fl. cops paid to drink on the job to test breath machine

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/florida-police-officers-paid-drink-alcohol-eat-doritos-164922342.html

"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has fallen under scrutiny for paying several employees to drink alcohol on the job in order to test a breathalyzer."

"Last October, the department allocated $300 for Jim Beam whiskey, Doritos and drink mixers. The Herald Tribune reports that it was part of an effort to preserve the embattled "Intoxilyzer 8000" from being phased out. 15 law enforcement employees were then invited to department headquarters in Tallahassee to drink and eat on the job."

I can assure you New Hampshire will probably not do this, as I cross-examined the State's leading Intoxilyzer supervisor on this issue. When I asked if the machines were ever tested with someone's actual breath sample, instead of a simulator, the witness testified she would never have officer's drink in order to test the machine. It is important to note the underlying reason behind Florida's experiment. They were using real subjects, because the machine was not considered reliable enough. The intoxilyzer 8000, is an even newer machine than the one used in New Hampshire (intoxilyzer 5000). There are many defenses to breath test cases, and there are many things that can make the results questionable.