A federal investigation into the DWI unit of the Albuquerque Police Department and an Albuquerque law firm has resulted in the mayor, the police chief and the district attorney all pointing fingers – away from themselves.
If you don’t follow Albuquerque news, here’s the gist: Albuquerque lawyer Thomas Clear (also chair of the State Public Defender Commission until the FBI raided his office) is alleged to have colluded with four APD officers and one lieutenant over DWI defendants. The scam worked like this: the cops in question would arrest a DWI offender, refer them to Clear for legal representation and then make a procedural error during the legal proceedings, most commonly missing a court date, leading to the dismissal of the charges.
The mayor is mad at the City Council for asking reasonable questions about the investigation. The police chief is mad at the DA for not telling him when officers were no shows. The DA is mad at the police chief for not making sure officers show up to hearings. And all of this is being aired via press release or press conference.