CO Bureau of Investigation Admits Recent Errors in DUI Blood Tests

According to a recent CBS Channel 4 investigation report, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has acknowledged that at least 56 of the 1500 DUI blood tests that its labs performed for the Colorado State Patrol over the last six months yielded incorrect results. In each case, initial testing showed evidence of lower blood alcohol levels in suspected impaired drivers than when additional retesting occurred. This amounts to about 4% of the DUI testing that two CBI labs have performed since they opened in Pueblo and Grand Junction in July, 2015.

CBI reportedly learned of the faulty testing only after Chema Tox, an independent lab, rechecked two blood samples and produced different results than the CBI lab testing had produced. Chema Tox notified the state of the inconsistencies last fall, and CBI now states that they have remedied the lab testing problem that led to the disparate results. CBI did not identify the nature or source of the “problem” that led to the inaccurate blood test results. However, CBI does claim that the faulty blood test results did not result in any suspected impaired driver being inappropriately charged with a criminal offense.

Blood Test Results are Critical Evidence in DUI Cases

With over 30,000 DUI cases alone in Colorado each year, blood tests for levels of alcohol or drug impairment are quite commonplace. However, with the increasing severity of the penalties that typically accompany a DUI conviction under Colorado law, it is essential that the blood test results accurately affect an individual driver’s impairment level. Blood test evidence is often the main piece of evidence in building a DUI case against a subject. If the evidence is compromised or incorrect in some manner, then the entire case may be subject to dismissal for a lack of evidence. As a result, your Denver drunk driving lawyer strongly recommends that independent lab testing be conducted in order to reexamine the DUI convictions that have relied on the faulty test results. Otherwise, the suspect may have been subject to wrongful conviction.

Place Your Trust in Your Colorado DUI Attorney

The Tiftickjian Law Firm, P.C., dedicates its practice to defending those who are accused of impaired driving on Colorado roadways and related crimes. The faulty blood test results being produced by the CBI labs is just one example as to how impairment testing is not always as straightforward or reliable as it might initially seem. This is why it is essential to contact Jay Tifickjian as quickly as possible following your DUI arrest. If you fail to do so, then you will risk the severe repercussions of a DUI conviction under Colorado law, even if the evidence in support of your conviction is inaccurate or insufficient in some way. Allow us to carefully examine the evidence supporting the charges against you, and help you build a strong defense in your DUI case.