Miller County authorities now have a new way to conduct DWI investigations. The new method makes it much easier for officers to attain search warrants when administering blood draws from suspected drivers.
As part of a “no refusal” policy concerning DWI suspicions, law enforcement officials in Miller County now have the capability to receive search warrants for suspects digitally. When a driver refused a Breathalyzer test, the old process to get approval for a blood test involved printing out several documents and finding judges in person to sign off on the test.
As a result, these search warrants were usually only utilized in either extreme DWI cases that resulted in death or injury, or when the suspect already had multiple offenses. Now, officers can acquire these documents without having to even leave their police car.
Susan Glass, the traffic safety resource prosecutor for the state of Missouri, says a more efficient process is necessary for drunk driving suspicions.
“In impaired driving cases it’s important to get a test as soon as, or as close to the time of driving as possible. You get the most accurate reflection of what’s in the person’s system," Glass said.
Missouri law states that people can lose their driving privileges for up to a year if they refuse to give consent for a Breathalyzer test when suspected for DWI. Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Howard says the new policy will hopefully cause suspects to simply agree to take the test.
“At some point, I think that once word gets around, a lot of people that might otherwise think about refusing to submit to a Breathalyzer test will just go ahead and cooperate," Howard said.
In 2013, Miller County saw 37 alcohol-related crashes with 10 fatalities.
