On Nov. 15, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a comprehensive ruling in State of New Jersey vs. Olenowsk allowing expert testimony from specially trained police officers, known as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE), on the signs and symptoms of drugs in drugged driving investigations. The ruling is expected to have a major impact on drugged driving investigations, particularly those involving marijuana or cannabis. Detroit Mercy alumnus Thomas E. Page,’ 71, ’76, testified for seven days in this landmark case. The court cited him in its analysis, based on the U.S. Supreme Court Daubert standard of reliability. The appointed Special Master hearing officer wrote that Page’s “…testimony provided what I deem to be an accurate and fact-based account of the subject matter, which stood up to very probing cross-examination. He was highly credible, and I attribute substantial weight to his testimony.”
Page assisted in creating the DRE program for the Los Angeles Police Department and has been accepted by courts in 21 states as an expert in alcohol and drug-impaired driving investigations.