Mitchell Ignatoff Meets with Author of Alcotest Study

Mitchell Ignatoff, Esq. met with Seton Hall Las School Professor David Denbeaux regarding his study of the reliability of the alcotest.  Denbeaux had authored a study of the alcotest that was quite critical of the machine. He noted that the machine is both a computer and a breath test machine.He noted that the alcotest has never been subject to testing by any firm except the manufacturer. Because the machine is a computer, there can be many areas of the software that runs the computer (and the machine) that are incorrect. The study noted that the alcotest may very well be unreliable because it has never been tested by anyone other than the manufacturer. Ignatoff and Denbeaux discussed the inaccuracy of breath testing. In previous articles Ignatoff has been quite critical of the failure of the courts to require the manufacturer to testify regarding the reliability of the alcotest. Denbeaux suggested to Ignatoff that Seton Hall Law School run a conference on the alcotest.