Several DWI defendants, prepared to admit guilt, found their cases suddenly dismissed after the District Attorney discovered that the arresting officers were under federal investigation for being compensated not to appear in court, according to Target 7. District Attorney Sam Bregman let go of 159 cases following FBI searches on the residences of three Albuquerque police officers and a prominent DWI lawyer.

An analysis by Target 7 reveals that 16 defendants were set to appear in court and plead guilty as per their scheduled plea agreements. Additionally, about 32% of the cases involved defendants who had outstanding arrest warrants due to missing court appearances.

Linda Atkinson from the DWI Resource Center expressed her disappointment over the situation. She lamented the freedom these defendants likely enjoy and the potential danger they pose to the community as a result of the dismissed cases.

In addition to these cases, 11 were recent arrests with pending arraignments. The majority of the remaining cases were at different stages in the court process. Target 7 also found a defendant who had two separate cases dismissed.

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