Judge Denies Bid to Drop 600 Drunk Driving Cases

Amid complaints about procedures at Ventura County’s crime lab, a judge denied a request Monday to throw out more than 600 disputed drunk driving cases.

But Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren agreed to allow some defendants who have pleaded guilty or have been convicted to contest their cases under certain circumstances.

Perren found that there was no intentional effort to conceal problems with the crime lab--namely its lack of certification to handle the tests used to prove drunk driving.

“The court is not persuaded by a preponderance of evidence that the Ventura County Crime Lab engaged in a deliberate and systematic practice of withholding information or in violation of constitutional, statutory or regulatory mandates,” Perren wrote in his 21-page ruling.

A team of defense attorneys sought dismissal of cases brought earlier this year after the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department lab continued testing despite failing a state proficiency test by the Department of Health Services.

The lawyers contended that the lab was operating in violation of several state laws and launched a court battle that centered on the admissibility of blood, urine, blood-alcohol and breath tests conducted or overseen by the lab.

The lab has since regained its certification to conduct the tests.