FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"NO REFUSAL" WEEKEND BLOOD TEST RESULTS REVEAL THAT THOSE WHO WOULD TRY TO ESCAPE JUSTICE ARE ON AVERAGE MORE THAN TWICE THE LEGAL LIMIT

San Antonio, Texas: September 22, 2009:

The District Attorney’s Office has just received the lab test results for the blood samples that were taken from individuals arrested for Driving While Intoxicated ("DWI") over the Labor Day Weekend. District Attorney Susan Reed previously announced a "No Refusal" weekend over the Labor Day Holiday, which means that those arrested for DWI who refused to provide a breath sample would be subject to having blood drawn after a search warrant was obtained from a judge. The tests results obtained thus far prove that those who refused to provide a breath sample had an average blood alcohol content of .19, more than twice the legal limit.

In all, there were a total of thirty-nine blood draws as a result of a DWI charge over the weekend. Out of those cases, several individuals arrested were subject to mandatory blood draws without a warrant in accordance with new legislation enacted on September 1, 2009. Thirty defendants arrested over the weekend for a DWI offense had their blood drawn as a result of a search warrant after they refused a breath test. The highest blood test result received was a .33 blood alcohol level, over four times the legal limit of .08. The average blood alcohol level tested thus far (there are a total of eight results still pending) is in excess of .19. Significantly, there were no Intoxication Assault or Intoxication Manslaughter offenses committed over the busy holiday weekend. The “No Refusal” weekend program initiated by District Attorney Susan Reed has been implemented on select targeted time periods beginning on the 2008 Memorial Day weekend. By sending a message that DWI suspects will not be allowed to refuse to provide valuable evidence, the project aims to reduce the incidence of DWI in Bexar County and secure convictions against those who continue to violate the DWI laws.

In addition to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, the “No Refusal” Labor Day Weekend was carried out in cooperation with the various law enforcement agencies in the Bexar County DWI Task Force, including the San Antonio Police Department, which increased patrols over the holiday weekend. The Bexar County Magistrate’s Office, the Bexar County District Clerk’s Office, and the City of San Antonio Magistrate’s Office also provided assistance and staff to make the program a success.

For more information, contact Adriana Biggs, Chief, White Collar Crime, at 210-335-2404.