Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, cell: 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com
Southfield, Mich. — Feb. 18, 2016 — Attorney Neil Rockind, founder of Southfield-based criminal defense law firm, Rockind Law, announced his opposition to Senate Bill 434, which authorizes a one year pilot program of roadside drug testing in three Michigan counties, allowing law enforcement to administer a saliva test to determine whether a vehicle operator is under the influence of a controlled substance.
“These so-called roadside drug tests are designed to check for the presence of the remnants of some drugs yet, as with many similar tests in the criminal justice system, are an application of bad science,” Rockind said. “The criminal justice system wants to take science and turn it into a fast, easy utility. Science is neither fast nor easy.”
Rockind further expressed dismay with the state using people in a pilot program involving drug testing.
“A pilot program is a test program and, in this case, treats people as guinea pigs to be studied. People are not guinea pigs; no citizen should be the subject of a test program when their liberty and way of life are on the line. This is a dangerous precedent for Michigan to set,” Rockind said.
Rockind, who in 2015 became the first attorney in Michigan to get an acquitted client’s blood samples returned, also questioned what would be done with the saliva samples obtained through the pilot program.
“The legislature and the judiciary have not answered the question I continue to ask regarding who owns one’s biological evidence,” Rockind said. “This issue absolutely must be addressed before any pilot program or formal program is introduced and before additional invasive testing is proposed that further violates the civil liberties of Michigan citizens.”
SB 434 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 20.
About Rockind Law
Rockind Law is a Southfield, Michigan-based criminal defense law firm aggressively pursuing justice for individuals facing criminal charges, including white collar crime, drunk driving, narcotics and assault. To find out more about the firm’s services and resources, visit http://www.rockindlaw.com/.
