State v. Blackburn

In State v. Blackburn (1996), 115 Ohio App.3d 678, 685 N.E.2d 1327, the trooper stopped the defendant for not having a functioning license plate light. The trooper testified that when he asked for the defendant's license, he detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. The defendant also admitted he had "a few beers" that evening. In these circumstances, the Seventh District approved the trooper's administration of field sobriety tests. The court held that "the facts available to Trooper Zook would warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that the defendant-appellant was driving under the influence of alcohol." Id. at 681.