Budget cuts could hinder DWI convictions
tonight we’re seeing the first effects of yesterday’s state budget cuts. we’ve learned those cuts could mean trouble for prosecuting drunk drivers. specifically the cuts could lead to a backlog at the lab where the blood of dwi supects is tested. gadi schwartz is live in santa fe with how big a problem this could cause. any time a drunk driver gets his blood drawn- its up to the department of health to test it for alcohol. we aim to have 90 percent done in 8 weeks and its been slowing down because we havnt been able to keep up so right now completing about 70 percent in 8 weeks that means more than a quarter of those blood tests may not be ready by the target date… and that poses a problem for prosecutors dealing with repeat dwi offenders or drunk driving accidents that involve injuries or death.. because they onlhave 60 days to get an indictment. so we asked the bernalillo county da’s office what that could mean for some of the 7- thousand dwi cases they take on every year. if we can’t get those test results back quickly enough, either we are delayed in charging them , or we don’t have the evidence to charge them when it gets to trial, then the defendant is able to walk away. to make matters worse- the department of health’s lab is short 3 technicians because of a hiring freeze. and new state rules are taking technicians out of the lab more than ever before to testify in courts all across new mexico