Just this week, news hit that the Metro Crime Lab that serves Colorado Springs has supplied at least 82 flawed DUI blood test results. At this time it isn’t clear how many people this will affect but defense lawyers, the District Attorney, and even the Revenue Department are running serious damage control.
The Colorado Springs Crime Lab is used to analyze many forms of physical evidence and most frequently, DUI blood tests. These test results are then used in court to determine a person’s guilt or innocence. For at least 82 people, these results, however, were wrong.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette each of the 82 cases in question involved test results that were said at the time to be over the legal limit of .08% but have since been found to be under. Further evaluation is being done to determine if more test results have been exaggerated and what the cause of these errors is.
Equipment failure is not being blamed and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is honing in on the possibility of user error. Defense attorneys who have handled DUI cases in the past year are getting bombarded with inquiries from their clients.
The report states it isn’t immediately known how many of the 82 cases resulted in convictions or which were pled down, but the Revenue Department states at least 3 people have received their driving privileges back.
This just goes to show that test results, whether blood or breath, aren’t 100% accurate. User error and equipment malfunction are likely more common than most people realize. When you are facing criminal charges, the last thing you need are false positive test results.
If you are facing DUI charges and want to ensure the court sees the evidence for what it really is, it’s crucial you have a defense attorney you can trust.
I understand the flaws in the system and am here to ensure your rights are protected. Call me today to discuss the specifics of your DUI case.
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