Many DWI attorneys in Bexar County are in agreement that the DWI system is broken, according to an article from KSAT Channel 12 News. In the article, the issue of blood testing is discussed, as many DWI defense lawyers agree that blood tests are not being used in the courtroom. Attorney George Scharmen was quoted regarding his opinion on the matter of blood tests, saying:
“If they [the accused] take a breath test, their bargaining chips are gone, but if they take a blood test they’re open, because the D.A. doesn’t use blood in the courtroom.”
There is currently no credible way to test blood samples in Bexar County and yet law officers are still administering these tests. The lab that used to be in Bexar County, Integrated Forensic Laboratories (IFL), was shut down after many of their blood samples were contaminated and their technicians were not able to pass competency tests.
Instead these blood tests end up going to the DPS lab in Austin, TX. The results coming out of this lab have also been in question as of late, and many attorneys do not trust the accuracy of their lab.
Local District Attorney LaHood doesn’t quite agree and says that he sees no problems with the DPS lab. He believes that the process is in fact working, despite the backlog of blood samples needing to be tested.
If you are currently facing DWI charges in San Antonio, call Attorney George Scharmen with 40+ years of experience today!