Allegations of Corruption in Albuquerque Police DWI Investigations
Recent reports have surfaced regarding serious allegations of misconduct within the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) related to its DWI Unit. These allegations suggest that certain officers, in collaboration with outside individuals, engaged in a scheme that pressured individuals arrested for DWI offenses into paying substantial sums of money to have their charges dropped.
According to reports, individuals were allegedly falsely arrested and coerced into making payments in exchange for case dismissals. These actions, if proven true, have caused significant personal and financial hardships, including loss of employment, housing instability, and emotional distress for those affected.
Public records indicate that some individuals involved in the scheme have admitted to facilitating these alleged pay-to-dismiss practices. These developments have raised concerns about systemic corruption and the integrity of the legal process for those charged with DWI in Albuquerque.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by these allegations—whether through wrongful arrest, financial coercion, or other related harm—you may have legal recourse.
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Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
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If you or someone you know has been impacted by these allegations—whether through wrongful arrest, financial coercion, or other related harm, contact the attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf.