What Is This Scram Device The Judge Ordered?
As a DWI Attorney I get to witness how each court treats people accussed of DWI. The courts of Harris County, Texas are always attempting to monitor a person's alcohol consumption when charged with a DWI. There are several reasons the court attempts this, mostly it is because as a condition of probation a person is not allowed to consume alcohol. Another is because a person has been previously convicted of an alcohol related driving offense and now there on bond in their court. The ways the court has tried to do this include:
- bordering for urine analysis,
- random alcohol screenings,
- installing breath reading equipment in your home or vehicle (interlock), and
- ordering the SCRAM Device
The SCRAM (a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) allows the court to monitor your alcohol intake continuously.
When the SCRAM device is ordered by the court, a person will be fitted with a tamper-resistant ankle bracelet made up of two boxes. One box will conduct the tests that will compute your BAC (blood alcohol content). The second box stores the calculations and transmits the data. The SCRAM device is designed to test your BAC level every hour. If the device detects any alcohol in your system, the test repeats every thirty minutes.
There are many different reasons the court orders a SCRAM to be installed. The reasons include being convicted of alcohol related offenses in the past; a person states that do not have a vehicle to install the guardian interlock, or a judge that finds it to be the best way to monitor an individual.
The SCRAM device is expensive. You will have to pay a refundable $100 deposit, a $75 fitting fee, and a weekly fee while you are wearing the device . Most importantly, the fees must be paid in full before the device is installed and fitted.