Blood test shows woman charged with DUI/felony child neglect was sober at time of arrest

[Jilly_in_VA]

After working 41 hours in three days caring for COVID patients, Katie Slayton had the day off on Sept. 22, 2021.

A single mother of a five-year-old son, the Williamson County nurse had dropped him off at daycare that evening so she could run to the mall.

A few hours later, she picked him up and prepared to pull out of the parking spot when she saw police lights directly behind her.

What would happen next would result in devastating consequences: charges of DUI and felony child neglect, separation from her son for nine weeks, and an agonizing six months of waiting for blood test results.

A test that would ultimately show she was sober the entire time.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/06/20/blood-test-shows-woman-charged-with-duifelony-child-neglect-was-sober-time-arrest/

Please read the WHOLE article before commenting! Yes this happened in Tennessee, but it could happen anywhere. This is appalling.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Why does blood work take 6 months? Is there something special about that type of test?

I just had blood work done at noon and had results uploaded to my chart by midnight.

This is not the first case I’ve seen where it took months for the blood tests to exonerate an innocent person.

[mopinko]

4. it doesnt. it just doesnt.

etoh is an automated test that every lab can run in an hour or less.

[Jilly_in_VA]

5. Toxicology takes longer

But it shouldn't take more than 6 weeks. Not 6 months! I think the cops realized they were wrong and dragged it out. The cumulative effects of exhaustion can do a serious number on you. And the cops did a power trip on this woman.

[Sympthsical]

2. This happened to a buddy about ten years ago

He had been pulling double shifts for a week at a demanding job. He was driving home late at night after a long day, utterly exhausted. Apparently his driving appeared unsteady. He was pulled over. He explained where he was coming from, offered to have them contact his boss, etc. He failed the field sobriety test apparently. He insisted on a blood test.

He ended up having to go to court over the whole thing, but it was eventually dropped. He was out some lawyer's fees if I recall.

To be fair (with my buddy, not this story of child separation which is crazy), he probably shouldn't have been driving. Sleep deprivation can and has killed people on the road. Stories about truckers who haven't rested enough resulting in lost lives are more common than they ought to be.

Still, TF with these cops. Once you realize you're wrong, that should be the end of it. But no, they went full power trip.

[exboyfil]

14. In her case there was no observed moving violation

Since she was not driving when approached.

[gldstwmn]

27. If TN is like CO your keys only need be in the ignition.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Same In Illinois

There have even been PSAs that tell people if they're going to sleep it off in the car, don't put the key in the ignition.
I don't recall for sure, but that PSA might have been paid for by the Distillers' Association.

[Xolodno]

34. Yeap. Friend of mine got busted that way.

Realized he shouldn't be driving and immediately pulled in to dark part of a gas station and turned of the ignition. And fell asleep on the steering wheel. Someone later noticed him there and was wondering if he was hurt or dead and called the police. They showed up and nailed him. Had he just took his keys out of the ignition and tossed them to the passenger floor, they would have left him alone.

But as one lawyer told me, "the police have one job...to arrest people and nothing more".

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. FTP, fuck the system and fuck the carceral state.

[Hav]

6. Field sobriety tests should never be the deciding factor

for losing your kid for such a long time. I don't have great balance to begin with and it can vary from day to day, particularly after an exhausting day. And that doesn't even factor in the stress when dealing with the police.

While it's true that everybody has heard about enough cases when the state failed to protect a child and that they sometimes have to err on the side of caution, being separated for 9 weeks partially due to waiting so long for a simple blood alcohol test seems insane.

[exboyfil]

13. Don't ever submit to a field sobriety test

Make then take you to the station and blow the machine if they feel they have sufficient evidence for an arrest. Also don't answer questions.

[ck4829]

7. K&R for exposure

[Cracklin Charlie]

8. I figured it was Missouri.

I’ll go read this.

[irisblue]

9. These bits jumped out at me

snip-"The call to the police came from the daycare from a worker worried that Slayton seemed “off.”

snip-"Slayton tells them she has no family in Tennessee, and her phone is dead, so she can’t contact a babysitter."

snip-"Her son would ultimately remain in state custody for nine weeks as she awaited blood alcohol levels, which showed her not to be intoxicated."

snip-"Slayton said she was not suing but instead asked that her arrest be evaluated.

Slayton said she was told that no discrepancies were found in how the arrest was conducted." {AKA- We investigated ourselves and found no problems in our behaviors}

[oldsoftie]

21. I'd rethink the "not suing" decision. These cases are what suits are made for. Nt

[irisblue]

22. I hope she does. The daycare worker and the cops hurt her kid & her.

[EndlessWire]

29. Yeah

I'd sue. There is too much jeopardy for her, from losing her licenses to the trauma they suffered. Plus, revelation of her medical condition should have been private. This will impact her efforts to get another job.

I would not be able to do those physical tests, even though I don't drive and drink. While reading the story, I was picturing how awful she must have felt. Also, it was the cops' fault that the kid was running around the parking lot, not hers. She couldn't have moved anywhere to get him for fear the cops might shoot her. So, THEY endangered the kid.

I don't see why she shouldn't sue the cops plus the daycare. Surely, she is not going to return to that particular daycare, anyway. If she doesn't want to put them out of business, have them write her an apology. She doesn't have to sue those defendants; she can just sue the cops.

Stuff like this just infuriates me. I think you can go almost 24 hours before you start hallucinating. I, myself, ahem, can go 33 hours. But after that, I am unconscious. She went to work 41 hours in 3 days--wow. A good mom, doing all the right things: a job, daycare, shopping. And, then this.

She should sue for false arrest and defamation. They have a lot of explaining to do. Fix it so she doesn't have to work 41 hours in 3 days.

[IronLionZion]

10. Sleep deprived and medicated for ADHD

I can confirm that this combination can make someone appear intoxicated without a drop of alcohol. Sleep deprivation alone can do it.

[exboyfil]

11. Never do any of the field sobriety tests (physical or blow)

Usually you have to blow at the station to maintain license.

There was no basis for an arrest without the field sobriety test.

Don't answer questions.

[gldstwmn]

28. I wouldn't have even disclosed the medication.

[cab67]

12. Something like this was the basis for a major scandal in Houston

The field kits were for drugs rather than sobriety, but the appallingly high falls positive rate became apparent after many dozens of people plead guilty to possession charges at the urging of public defenders. A couple of hundred convictions were later overturned.

[TeamProg]

15. This is what "freedom" in the USA looks like. nt

[LiberalArkie]

16. The first thing I would do is ask my doctor to order out a drug test on me.

Most doctors do that if you are on Hydro or drugs and they suspect that you are doing other drugs or too much.

[MoriaeEncomium]

17. They can ruin your life just by accusing you of something.

....and you have to spend money/time repairing your life after you lose your apartment, car, job, insurance, spouse whatever because of punitive cash bail system. Innocent until proven guilty? NOT!

[Snackshack]

19. This is horrible.

There are way too many LEOs like this on job they either lack common sense or think everyone is a crook trying to kill them.

Law enforcement is going to have a reset at some point. It cannot continue as it is with instances like this happening on one end where innocent people are arrested and their lives up ended or shot & killed because of zealotry and on the other end an entire department of LE standing around doing nothing for over an hour while a gunman casually executes 19 children and 2 teachers and wounding 17 others.

This cannot continue.

[Old Crank]

20. Time for a lawsuit.

This is ridiculous. What happened to breathalyzer tests?
You can't balance like I think you should you go to jail until......

[uponit7771]

24. +1, unprofessional PDs' are defunding their cities

[stopdiggin]

25. nicely put

---- --- --- ----

[gldstwmn]

30. You would think someone would get tired of it.

[uponit7771]

31. right ?!

[flying_wahini]

23. And she isn't sueing?

[gldstwmn]

26. Does Tennessee not utilize breathalyzers? Also I hope she reconsiders filing suit.

She might think she and her son are okay but nine weeks away from your only parent is traumatic, not to mention the six agonizing months of waiting for blood test results. She needs to be made whole for that. I feel like the daycare should be at fault also as they are not trained to look for signs of impairment and their actions seem somewhat punitive.

[Demovictory9]

33. Don't just leave the state. Sue them