If you keep up with the latest news, you may have noticed Attorney Scharmen’s name in an article published yesterday by Fox News San Antonio. The article addressed concerns about the amount of DWI blood samples that are piling up at the San Antonio Police Department, and how this backup of over 1,000 samples may be affecting the amount of available evidence that can be used in the courtroom.
Bexar County District Attorney Nico Lahood has ordered that samples no longer be sent to the contracted lab, yet maintains that convictions have still increased despite not testing the blood samples.
“The blood sample is extremely important,” Attorney Scharmen says. “It sort of lays the foundation for the state’s case.” The sample, he states, is what ultimately decides if a person is driving drunk. For those samples to not be utilized means that the state is neglecting opportunities to gather evidence, and Texas taxpayers are unnecessarily paying for the staffing required to draw the samples.
Lahood argues that the blood test results are only one piece of evidence and are not a crucial element in securing a conviction, but Attorney Scharmen, who has over 40 years of legal experience, knows that blood samples are an important part of a DWI case and that to not use them can limit a state’s case. “They’re [sic] took box isn’t empty, but it’s certainly not full.”
Have you been convicted of a DWI in San Antonio ? If your blood has been drawn for testing, it may still be sitting in a SAPD refrigerator! You can’t afford to plead guilty – call The Law Offices of George A. Scharmen today for a free consultation.