More than a dozen DWI cases dismissed after Albuquerque police officer's firing

More than a dozen Albuquerque DWI cases have been dismissed and there could be dozens more. The dismissals are a result of an Albuquerque Police officer being fired this summer. Former APD Spokesperson Fred Duran is a witness in dozens of DWI cases, and in many, he was the officer making that initial arrest. Now, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office says they have to dismiss at least 19 of those cases because of his involvement.

According to an APD Internal Affairs investigation, Duran violated procedure and was not truthful (lied !) about what happened during a DWI arrest last November, leading to those charges being dropped and Duran’s firing. The DA’s office says while it’s not unheard of to have cases dismissed when an officer is fired, this situation is an exception because so many were dismissed or called into question.

“It’s horrible that we have to do it. I wish that we didn’t have to do this, but as prosecutors, we have to hold ourselves to a higher ethical standard and it’s why we do it,” said Joshua Boone, Deputy District Attorney for the Metro division. “It’s doing the right thing. Sometimes the right thing is painful.”

The DA’s office says there are another 46 cases involving Duran that are either pending or under review. Duran’s attorney declined to talk on camera but says he still plans to appeal his termination in a hearing on Nov. 17.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/more-than-a-dozen-dwi-cases-dismissed-after-albuquerque-police-officers-firing/