alt Hacker News> The tests are popular because they’re cheap, portable and can screen for drugs in mere minutes. It’s just not feasible to send all suspected drug samples to state laboratories, which would be far more expensive and could take days or weeks to return results.
Sounds like the govs problem, not the people accused of a crime. Limitations in testing do not justify using inaccurate tools. If it takes weeks, it takes weeks. Gov doesn’t get to ruin innocent lives just because it’s more convenient. At least, they shouldn’t… apparently they do
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You know, why not just make it a lot faster and more convenient and just go by the expert assessment of the officer on scene? No need for all the bloat.
Ruining innocent people’s lives is what government is best at doing. Don’t think of as convenient. Think of it as realization of purpose.
Part of the problem is that public defence is extremely stressful and not particularly well paid, as well as being less prestigious than prosecution.
Few are going to give their all to defend someone who has already "failed" a drug test. Better to sort out a quick plea deal and focus on cases that will impress private sector clients later.
If you can get out of jail time with some deal that requires a fine and putting up with some annoyances, is it really worth fighting things out to prove your innocence and risk failing?