Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Intoxylizer 9000 Certificates Get the Boot by Gilpin County Judge

After months of litigation and a days-long hearing on the issue, Gilpin County Judge David Taylor has ruled that certificates issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) certifying that Intoxylizer 9000 machines used to measure breath alcohol in DUI cases cannot be used by prosecutors to establish that these machines were properly tested/vetted by CDPHE as required by statute and regulations.

The court made this ruling because it had been established at hearing that the certificates used by CDPHE exhibited the signature of a supervisor who has not worked at the agency for over a year and a half.  CDPHE continues to maintain that the signature is not a legal affirmation, but a simple formality and that the machines were properly tested/vetted.  The only problem with that claim is that, despite years of requests and legal demands, CDPHE continues to refuse to provide proper proof of its claim.

Colorado began substituting the old Intoxylizer 5000 machines, which had been properly tested/vetted/documented, with the 9000 version in May 2015.  Since then, there has remained controversy regarding the accuracy/reliability of these machines and requests for the information/documentation pertaining to their certification by CDPHE have been repeatedly ignored. The 9000's immediate predecessor, the Intoxilyzer 8000, has already been declared scientifically unreliable in two different states.  There is no substantive difference in the basic technology between the 8000 and 9000 machines.

As the result of Judge Taylor's ruling, verification of the certification of 9000 machines used in Colorado will have to come directly from CDPHE management testimony, which will no doubt prove costly and time-consuming.  Already, other judges in other counties have adopted Judge Taylor's ruling on this issue, with more expected each day.

For more info: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/13/breath-test-evidence-dui-cases/

Our law offices continue to maintain a close watch on this issue in the courts...experienced, knowledgeable legal counsel is essential in defending any DUI case.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Governor Rejects Defense Bar Demand for Investigation Into Intoxylizer Certifications--Says Investigation Was Done; But Where's the Report?

Governor Hickenlooper has rejected the demand by the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar that an official independent investigation be conducted regarding the certification of the Intoxylizer-9000 machines that have been used to measure breath alcohol in DUI suspects since 2013.

The governor's legal office claims that an investigation was conducted and no wrongdoing was found.  Although that may be the case, no reports/findings, formal or informal, of that investigation have ever been made public.  The procurement, testing, certification and implementation of the I-9000 remains shrouded in mystery and secrecy...

Here is the latest report on the matter from today's Denver Post:

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/14/colorado-dui-convictions-forgery-attorneys/

Monday, March 13, 2017

Intoxylizer-9000 Scandal Widens

A CDPHE whistle-blower has added yet another layer of scandal to the already beseiged Intoxylizer-9000 machine used to measure breath alcohol on DUI suspects. (See previous reports on this blog)

The former CDPHE employee Mike Barnhill has now reiterated for the media what he has already testified to in court--that certification of I-9000 machines was made by unqualified individuals using his qualifications and certification number, including false signatures.

CDPHE continues to maintain, publicly and in court, that these revelations are irrelevant to the accuracy and reliability of the I-9000.

Here's the Denver CBS4 report:

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/03/10/whistleblower-says-signatures-certifying-dui-machines-were-forged/

The Law Offices of Anthony J. Fabian, P.C. continues to remain abreast of these issues and how they affect the defense of DUI charges here in Colorado.


Thursday, February 16, 2017

Questions Abound Regarding Certification of Intoxilizer-9000

As previously reported on this information page, there are serious unanswered questions regarding the validity of the certification process of the Intoxilizer-9000 (AKA I-9000) machine that has been used to measure breath alcohol content in DUI/DWAI cases in Colorado since 2013.  Legal issues surrounding those questions are now being litigated in Colorado courtrooms.  See, e.g.  http://kdvr.com/2017/02/15/attorneys-at-a-dui-trial-call-colorados-breathalyzers-into-question/

Prior to 2013, when the I-9000 was put into service statewide, Colorado used an older machine, the Intoxilizer-5000.  This machine not only measured breath alcohol content (BrAC), but it also captured a second breath sample for independent testing if the defendant desired.  This machine was certified under the requirements set forth in Colorado statutes and CDPHE regulations.  Further, the full technical information contained in the operation manuals of the I-5000 were available to attorneys and the public and CDPHE personnel readily answered all questions pertaining to the I-5000.

But it was a completely different story with the I-9000, which did away with second-sample capture of breath tests.  From its adoption, the I-9000 has been shrouded in secrecy and mystery.  CDPHE has repeatedly refused to provide any technical data or information regarding the testing and certification of the I-9000 prior to its deployment for use in DUI cases.  Both CDPHE and the I-9000 manufacturer have also refused to provide any technical or operation manuals for review by independent scientific experts.  It has now been discovered that serious irregularities took place during the certification of I-9000s by CDPHE and that unqualified/uncertified personnel were involved in the certification of machines.  Further, documents offered by prosecutors in court to verify the certification of I-9000 machines have been carrying the signature/facsimile signature of a CDPHE supervisor who has not worked at the department for over 18 months.  None of these issues have been directly and satisfactorily addressed by CDPHE, the Attorney General, or the District Attorneys of this state.

To summarize, Colorado citizens are currently being tried and convicted with evidence from a scientific device of which no one of scientific credentials is able to ascertain what it is made of, how it works, and how it was evaluated by the State to verify that it was sound and accurate before being used as prima facie evidence of DUI.  Further, the State continues to keep the operational and technical information regarding the I-9000 a secret and has taken all possible measures to prevent the proper scientific and legal vetting of this machine.  Simply put, juries are being told that since the State says the I-9000 is reliable and accurate, we have to just take their word for it!

The Constitutions of the U.S. and Colorado guarantee that a person accused of a crime receive due process of law and be able to confront/challenge the evidence offered against them, and it is the most egregious of violations of these rights to prevent accused persons from being able to investigate, vett, test, and challenge scientific evidence that is offered against them.  That is exactly what is happening in Colorado courtrooms when persons stand accused of DUI/DWAI pursuant to a breath test result from an Intoxilizer-9000.

The Law Offices of Anthony J. Fabian, P.C. remains attuned to these issues and in close communication with other professionals who are intimately involved with the various statewide legal challenges to the improper and unconstitutional implementation and use of the I-9000 and its test results.