Udall's efforts stem from a case of driving while intoxicated in New Mexico. A drunk airline passenger by the name of Dana Pabst disembarked from a flight and proceeded to drive from the airport, leading to an accident that killed a traveling family.

According to Udall there are 10,000 cases of air rage, a figure that is 400% higher than incidents in 2000. His legislation has been approved by the Commerce Committee.

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A new state-wide anti-DWI ad campaign was also unveiled, titled 'Women Drive Drunk, Too'. The campaign hopes to educate the public to the dangers of driving while intoxicated in New Mexico, and to the fact that the number of female NM DWI offenders is increasing. The State DWI czar says that almost a quarter of all drunk driving arrests in New Mexico involve female drivers. They also reportedly account for 20% of the alcohol related traffic fatalities. The 'Women Drive Drunk, Too' message will be spread through use of billboards, radio spots and television commercials.

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Saavedra was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in New Mexico in 2001 but the charges were dropped by the district attorney in Bernalillo County. That arrest was before he was named head of the state-funded DAs office. He was appointed to the position by a board made up of state district attorneys. Saavedra has amassed 36 traffic citations over the last 20 years, yet has never paid a fine or received a jail sentence. He is the son of the state representative from Albuquerque, ‘Kiki’ Saavedra.

Saavedra admitted that he had been drinking champagne prior to the arrest, but said his BAC was under the legal limit for intoxication.

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Richardson cited statistics claiming that 97 percent of those arrested for impairment and given a blood test show positive signs of illegal drugs. While New Mexico DWI laws already cover the prohibition of driving under the influence of illegal drugs, establishing degree of impairment for prosecution can be difficult. Checking for blood alcohol content in suspected NM DWI cases can be done relatively easy and quickly, but testing for illegal drugs requires a blood sample and time for processing.

A spokesperson with the New Mexico Department of Public Safety said that when motorists are issued driver’s licenses they give their ‘implied consent’ to submit to breath tests to check for driving while intoxicated. The same position is taken when it comes to requiring drivers suspected of drug impairment to submit to a blood test.

Forced blood draws have raised privacy issues, and currently there are no guidelines in place to quantify how much of any particular drug warrants an arrest for impairment. Legal limits for drug presence will have to be established, along with applicable time lines for testing, before someone can be prosecuted for impairment beyond a reasonable doubt. The DPS acknowledged that the task is profoundly challenging.

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'The Storm' will be in effect through the upcoming holidays, ending January 4. Radio and television ads will be broadcast in English and Spanish, and billboards will be placed on state highways.

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Law enforcement agencies across the state will be conducting random sobriety checkpoints and enhanced drunk driving patrols on Thanksgiving weekend and then every weekend in December and the first weekend in January. According to New Mexico DWI czar Rachel O’Connor, the state typically only conducts two short Superblitzes.

The winter Superblitz looking for motorists who are suspected of driving while intoxicated in New Mexico will end January 4, 2009.

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There are now reports that New Mexico DWI cases appearing in front of one Navajo Nation judge are being dismissed when the arrest was conducted by a non-Native American. Specifically he challenges the concept of non-Native American law enforcement officers arresting Native Americans on tribal land.

The McKinley County District Attorney could not confirm or deny the allegations.

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The money will offset the cost of officers engaged in additional patrols, special party patrols and sobriety checkpoints. The grant is part of the DOT’s Alcohol Traffic Safety and Drunk Driving Prevention program.

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Governor Richardson hopes the anti-DWI message reaches a large audience during the Olympics. He said, “Everybody watches the Olympics and we want everybody to watch this.” The ads are scheduled to air on August 8, the first day of the Olympic games.

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After Las Cruces police officers arrived on the scene, the driver, David Hill, Jr., reportedly exited the truck very slowly. A breath test revealed his blood alcohol content was double that of the legal limit for intoxication in New Mexico. Hill was booked for drunk driving in New Mexico at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. He was also charged with negligent use of a firearm. Hill had a loaded Glock handgun on him at the time of the arrest, and possession of a firearm while intoxicated is illegal in the state.

Hill is a three year veteran with the Albuquerque Police Department. He was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

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Kent Craven is one of the more outspoken advocates for tough anti-DWI laws in New Mexico. In a prepared statement, he said his daughter is entering rehab.

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One impound lot covers nine acres, with officers seizing about 2,200 vehicles in 2007. In looking at the assortment, one finds expensive trucks to downright clunkers. Albuquerque's deputy city attorney revealed that hard-core alcoholics actually purchase second 'junk' cars as their drinking vehicles. Many NM driving while intoxicated defendants have said "that's my drunk car."

Police periodically conduct auctions of the seized vehicles. More than 3000 DWI seizure vehicles have been sold since the program was initiated seven years ago. Despite costing half a million dollars to run the seizure program, last year there was a profit from towing, auction and storage fees. That money went into a pool for New Mexico drunk driving programs, including education, training and equipment purchases.

The goal is to have an element of surprise; making driver’s think twice about drinking and driving in Albuquerque.

On a recent Thursday night, police made 20 arrests for suspicion of DWI. One motorist actually abandoned his vehicle at the roadblock and fled on foot.

For more information on New Mexico DWI Laws and finding a New Mexico DWI laywer, please visit it our New Mexico page.

The state’s lawyers argued that reasonable suspicion did not apply, as police were instructed to stop vehicles trying to avoid the checkpoint. However that directive did not follow checkpoint guidelines established in a 1987 legal ruling.

Anaya pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in New Mexico in early 2006, though she and her DWI defense attorney reserved the right to appeal on the case on the grounds that the initial traffic stop was illegal.

The attorney’s general’s office has indicated that the appellate court ruling is under review, and that an appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court may be made.

If you have been arrested drunk driving in New Mexico, you will need to hire a DWI lawyer in New Mexico.