Legal Insights

Are DWI Checkpoints Legal in New Mexico?

A 1985 New Year's Eve police roadblock in Las Cruces forced the New Mexico Court of Appeals to establish strict rules for when and how sobriety checkpoints are actually legal.

When Does a DWI Roadblock Actually Stop You in New Mexico?

A recent New Mexico Court of Appeals ruling explains exactly when you are legally seized at a DWI checkpoint and why the police must prove their roadblocks follow strict constitutional rules.

Why the State Cannot Use Substitute Witnesses for Blood Tests in New Mexico DWI Trials

A Farmington DWI crash led to a landmark United States Supreme Court decision about the Sixth Amendment and forensic blood evidence.

What a Recent Armed Robbery Case Teaches About Confessions and Inconsistent Defenses in New Mexico

The New Mexico Court of Appeals recently affirmed an armed robbery conviction, showing exactly why defendants cannot claim they were forced to commit a crime while also denying they were involved at all.

Can You Get a DWI in a Parked Car? What the Court Said in State v. Cotton

A DWI conviction in a parked car requires hard evidence of when you actually drove, not just speculation. Find out why the New Mexico Court of Appeals threw out a conviction when prosecutors couldn't prove the drinking and driving overlapped.