ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The ongoing “DWI Deception” scandal in New Mexico has not only affected the cases directly linked to the scheme – but is now also influencing the outcomes of other drunk driving cases.

One recent example is the case of Carlos Crockett. While Crockett is not directly tied to the DWI scandal, his case highlights the widespread impact it has had on the state’s justice system.

Crockett, whose first DWI arrest was in 2006, appeared in court on Wednesday. Authorities arrested him last week for his seventh offense. His most recent arrest followed a DWI charge from November 2023.

Linda Atkinson, the executive director of the DWI Resource Center, has spent the past three decades advocating for stricter penalties for repeat DWI offenders. Atkinson believes Crockett’s continued behavior highlights the lack of consequences that have plagued the state’s DWI enforcement system.

“The fact that he is continuing this behavior tells us he has not been deterred,” Atkinson said. “Nothing is happening to him.”

To Atkinson, this problem is not a new one.

“For people new to this state, they are wondering how someone could rack up seven DWIs,” she said. “For someone like me, who has been doing prevention for 30 years, it’s the status quo.”

But even though Crockett was not directly involved in the DWI scandal, his case has been significantly impacted by it. The officer at the center of the federal DWI scheme, Honorio Alba Jr., was the arresting officer in Crockett’s fifth DWI arrest in 2022, when Crockett was caught driving at speeds over 100 miles per hour on I-40.

Alba was the only one present during the DWI investigation. Despite Crockett pleading guilty and being sentenced to DWI court, he failed to comply with the conditions. On January 17, 2024, nearly two years after his arrest, a judge ordered Crockett to serve six months in jail for his actions.

However, just one day later, news of the APD DWI scandal broke, and the court immediately halted Crockett’s case. Alba’s involvement as a witness in Crockett’s arrest means that the prosecution cannot move forward without his testimony.

“What is wrong with New Mexico? How does this happen?” Atkinson said.

Crockett remains in custody. He faces charges for both his sixth and seventh DWIs. The court scheduled a hearing for a later date.