Odds of beating DWI charges in Bernalillo County about 50-50

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The odds of beating DWI charges in Bernalillo County are about 50-50. According to the Albuquerque Journal, 42 percent of all DWI cases resolved in Metropolitan Court last year were dismissed either by judges or prosecutors while 58 percent ended with a guilty verdict or plea. In 2016, the percentages favored defendants with 55 percent of drunken driving cases being dismissed compared to 45 percent ending in pleas or convictions. District Attorney Raul Torrez believes prosecutors are making progress. Torrez tells the Journal that if prosecutors can get the case to trial, they can win. But the problem is getting to trial, and Torres says prosecutors are in the process of fixing many technical issues that lead to the dismissals. ___ Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com