Current:Home > ContactACLU lawsuit details DWI scheme rocking Albuquerque police -ProfitQuest Academy
ACLU lawsuit details DWI scheme rocking Albuquerque police
View
Date:2025-04-16 01:10:44
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A civil rights group is suing the city of Albuquerque, its police department and top officials on behalf of a man who was among those arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and allegedly forced to pay bribes to get the charges dropped.
The DWI scandal already has mired the police department in New Mexico’s largest city in a federal investigation as well as an internal inquiry. One commander has been fired, several others have resigned and dozens of cases have been dismissed.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed the lawsuit late Monday in state district court. It alleges that Police Chief Harold Medina was aware of an agreement between some officers assigned to the DWI Unit and a local attorney’s office to work together to get cases dismissed in exchange for payment.
The police department and the city planned to address the latest allegations in a statement later Wednesday.
The ACLU filed the complaint on behalf of Carlos Sandoval-Smith, saying he was one of dozens of people who were “victimized” as part of the scheme for five years.
“This lawsuit isn’t just about getting justice for me, it’s about stopping this abuse so no one else has to suffer the way I did,” Sandoval-Smith said in a statement Monday. “I lost my business, my home, and my dignity because of APD corruption. It even caused a deep rift in my family that we may never heal from.”
Aside from the internal investigation launched in February by the police department, the FBI is conducting its own inquiry into allegations of illegal conduct. No charges have been filed, and it will be up to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether any federal laws were violated.
According to the lawsuit, the officers named in the complaint would refer drunken driving cases to a certain attorney and the officers would agree not to attend pre-trial interviews or testify so the charges would be dismissed.
The lawsuit states that federal authorities first informed the police department in June of 2022 of an alleged attempt by one of the officers to extort $10,000 from a defendant. It goes on to say that in December 2022, the police department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit received a tip that officers in the DWI Unit were being paid to get cases dismissed and were working in collaboration with a local attorney.
The city and the police chief “did not adequately investigate these allegations, if at all, prior to the involvement of federal authorities,” the ACLU alleges in the complaint.
In Sandoval-Smith’s case, he was initially pulled over for speeding in June 2023. The lawsuit alleges an officer unlawfully expanded the scope of the traffic stop by initiating a DUI investigation without reasonable suspicion. Sandoval-Smith was arrested despite performing well on several sobriety tests.
According to the complaint, Sandoval-Smith was directed to a certain attorney, whose legal assistant demanded $7,500 up front as part of the scheme.
Attorney Tom Clear and assistant Rick Mendez also are named as a defendants. A telephone number for the office is no longer in service. An email seeking comment was sent to Clear.
The ACLU’s complaint also points to what it describes as negligent hiring, training and supervision by the police department.
Maria Martinez Sanchez, legal director of the civil rights group, said she hopes the lawsuit results in reforms to dismantle what she described as “systemic corruption” within the law enforcement agency.
veryGood! (193)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games bring together Olympic hopefuls from 41 nations
- Son of federal judge in Puerto Rico pleads guilty to killing wife after winning new trial
- Pedro Argote, suspect in killing of Maryland judge, found dead
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Maine mass shooting victims: What to know about the 18 people who died
- Judge says Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts are discriminatory and must be redrawn
- Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost Put Their Chemistry on Display in Bloopers Clip
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Houston-area deputy indicted on murder charge after man fatally shot following shoplifting incident
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- UN chief appoints 39-member panel to advise on international governance of artificial intelligence
- Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary force resume peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia says
- A salty problem for people near the mouth of the Mississippi is a wakeup call for New Orleans
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, Tiësto to return to Miami for Ultra Music Festival 2024
- South Korean and US forces stage drills for reaction to possible ‘Hamas-style’ attack by North Korea
- Big bucks, bright GM, dugout legend: How Rangers' 'unbelievable year' reached World Series
Recommendation
Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
A blast killed 2 people and injured 9 in a Shiite neighborhood in the Afghan capital Kabul
Slammed by interest rates, many Americans can't afford their car payments
5 Things podcast: Anti-science rhetoric heavily funded, well-organized. Can it be stopped?
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Stock market today: Asian shares rebound following latest tumble on Wall Street. Oil prices gain $1
Epic battle between heron and snake in Florida wildlife refuge caught on camera
5 people found shot to death in North Carolina home: This is not normal for our community