I doubt it’s the first of its kind, but the emerging scandal around a conspiracy to dismiss drunk driving charges — in exchange for cold hard cash— is the first that’s been splashed across the front pages in such a colorful manner.
As for how much cash it allegedly cost to get a dismissal — $5000 is the figure being cited. A not insignificant amount.
The conspiracy involves a private attorney and a group of city police officers in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And amazingly enough, they appear to have gotten away with it for at least two decades before it was finally uncovered.
The investigation is about halfway complete, according to the investigator. Here’s a link to one of many feature stories that appeared on local TV:
“Unconscionable”: Mayor talks DWI scheme, expresses trust in Albuquerque police
As you might imagine, the Mayor, the Police Chief, and the rest of city government are pink with embarrassment. I can’t say it’s entirely a surprise, however, given that the Albuquerque Police Department was already under review by an independent monitor for other matters, as recently as 2023.
So far, the attorney’s paralegal is the only one who has been charged with a crime. He in turn has implicated a number of the others– including, it seems, officers from the County Sheriff’s Department and even the State Police.
The attorney, Thomas Clear III– that’s really his name– may face charges, along with possible disbarment.
To (hopefully) prevent this sort of thing from happening again, an independent internal affairs division has been newly created. I would have thought one already existed.
Apparently not.
Like most people who work with addictions, I’ve heard stories over the years, mostly from offenders themselves, about police officers accepting money to have DWI charges dropped. Conversely, I’ve also heard tales of officers who allegedly fabricate DWI charges in order to extort money from the offender.
I admit I’ve never taken such stories very seriously. Looks like maybe I should have.
