DWI defendants were ready to plead guilty before cases were dismissed

By T.J. Wilham

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Several DWI defendants who were ready to plead guilty suddenly had their cases tossed after the District Attorney learned that the officers who arrested them were under a federal investigation centered around officers being paid not to show up in court, Target 7 has learned.

District Attorney Sam Bregman dismissed 159 cases after the homes of at least three Albuquerque police officers and one prominent DWI attorney were searched by FBI agents.

Target 7 examined those cases and found that 16 defendants were ready to come into court and plead guilty. They had dates already set in which they were going to go before a judge as a part of a plea agreement.

“I would guess they’re probably out celebrating and probably doing the same behavior, said Linda Atkinson of the DWI Resource Center. “And again, you get that close where somebody can be accountable and actually could be saving lives. That’s all. That’s all gone.”

Of those cases, 32% of the defendants had warrants out for their arrest, which means they did not show up for one of their court appearances in their case and a warrant was issued for their arrest, and police have yet to find them.

“And they’re walking away,” Atkinson said. “It is frustrating to see the work that most law enforcement do and do well, and then you’ve got these bad apples and everything goes away. And the community is very dangerous.”

An additional 11 cases were recent arrests, and the defendants were going to be arraigned.

The rest of the cases — which amounts to more than half — were making their way through the judicial system.

Target 7 also found there was one defendant who actually had two cases thrown out.

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