DRE Documentation & Report Writing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct procedure for documenting a subject's refusal to submit to a DRE evaluation?
- The officer should not create a DRE report if evaluation is refused
- Document the refusal and any observable indicators noted prior to refusal (Correct answer)
- Record only that the subject was uncooperative without detail
- Transfer the case to a medical professional for documentation
Correct answer: Document the refusal and any observable indicators noted prior to refusal
When a subject refuses evaluation, the DRE officer should document the refusal and all observable indicators noted before the refusal occurred.
Question 2: Chain of custody documentation for a DRE urine specimen must include:
- Only the DRE officer's name and badge number
- Each person who handled the specimen, the date and time of transfers, and storage conditions (Correct answer)
- The subject's medical history and prior drug use
- The laboratory's accreditation number only
Correct answer: Each person who handled the specimen, the date and time of transfers, and storage conditions
Chain of custody documentation must track every person who handled the specimen, all transfer dates and times, and storage conditions to ensure evidentiary integrity.
Question 3: When documenting the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test in a DRE report, the officer should record:
- Only the total clue count without describing each eye separately
- The number of clues observed in each eye and the angle of onset if applicable (Correct answer)
- Only whether the stimulus was tracked smoothly
- The subject's stated explanation for any nystagmus observed
Correct answer: The number of clues observed in each eye and the angle of onset if applicable
HGN documentation must specify the number of clues in each eye and, when angle of onset nystagmus is present, the approximate angle at which it begins.
Question 4: In DRE documentation, the face-to-face interview observations should capture:
- Only the subject's responses to Miranda warnings
- Speech patterns, breath odor, demeanor, and visible signs of drug use (Correct answer)
- The subject's employment and residential history
- Statements about drug use only if voluntarily given
Correct answer: Speech patterns, breath odor, demeanor, and visible signs of drug use
The face-to-face interview section documents observable indicators including speech patterns, breath odor, behavioral demeanor, and any visible signs of drug use.
Question 5: How should body temperature readings be recorded in a DRE report?
- In Celsius only, as it is the scientific standard
- With the unit used, the time taken, and the method used to obtain the reading (Correct answer)
- Rounded to the nearest whole number without notation of method
- Only when temperature is above or below the normal range
Correct answer: With the unit used, the time taken, and the method used to obtain the reading
Body temperature must be recorded with the exact reading, the unit of measurement, the time it was taken, and the method used (e.g., oral or tympanic thermometer).
Question 6: What should be documented about the lighting conditions during a DRE evaluation?
- Nothing, as lighting conditions do not affect the evaluation
- The type and approximate level of lighting present during each examination step (Correct answer)
- Only whether the evaluation was conducted indoors or outdoors
- Lighting conditions only if the subject complains about them
Correct answer: The type and approximate level of lighting present during each examination step
Lighting conditions must be documented for each examination step, especially pupil examinations, because lighting directly affects the validity of observations.
Question 7: When a DRE evaluation reveals indicators inconsistent with any single drug category, the report should:
- Be discarded and the evaluation repeated
- Document all findings accurately and note the possibility of polydrug influence (Correct answer)
- Only report the most prominent findings to avoid confusion
- Defer entirely to toxicology results and omit the DRE opinion
Correct answer: Document all findings accurately and note the possibility of polydrug influence
When indicators suggest polydrug use, the DRE report should document all findings accurately and note that the findings are consistent with influence by a combination of drug categories.
DRE Documentation & Report Writing 2
What is the correct procedure for documenting a subject's refusal to submit to a DRE evaluation?