In the state of New Jersey, more than 20,000 people accused of drunk driving may have their cases dropped based on a ruling made by the state’s Supreme Court. The high court found criminal charges against a state police sergeant that was in charge of calibrating breath-testing devices, which made the test results from five counties inadmissible as evidence.
State authorities are required to notify anyone who has a case that involves results from machines handled by Sgt. Marc Dennis. It is claimed that the results are not scientifically sound due to his involvement. This decision has opened a path for thousands of people to challenge DWI convictions that have occurred over almost the last decade.
Dennis was accused of lying on official documents about performing legally required temperature checks while calibrating three machines, known as Alcotest devices. These devices gauge the blood alcohol level of the driver that has been accused of being intoxicated. A criminal case against Dennis is still pending. Although his attorney claim he is innocent, these accusations call into question any test result that was drawn from a machine Dennis handled. This include devices used by local police in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union Counties between 2008 and 2016. Although New Jersey is the only state that requires a temperature check test that Dennis is accused of skipping, the Supreme Court found that the omission of this step raised “substantial doubts” about the reliability of the machines.
The law firm of Mattleman, Weinroth & Miller, P.C., is composed of experienced defense attorneys throughout the state of New Jersey. Please contact the office for a free initial consultation and get any questions answered regarding criminal charges and procedures.