DWI charge dropped against lawyer Bell

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Well-known anti-DWI attorney Ron Bell no longer faces a DWI charge himself, according to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court website.

The dismissal was filed Monday afternoon, according to the website. The DA's office can refile the charges later based on the results of the toxicology tests on Bell's blood. This is a really common practice so the attornies can buy more time to handle the case.

At a news conference Monday Bell publicly denied driving impaired on Saturday night saying he would never drive drunk or under the influence of prescription drugs.

"I look forward to the day when my name will be cleared, my reputation reaffirmed, and my commitment to getting drunks off the road takes a new chapter," Bell said.

Bell, a prominent face on metro Albuquerque billboards and TV advertising, promoted himself as suing drunk drivers on behalf of victims.

A Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy stopped Bell Saturday night on Tramway Boulevard NE and arrested him for DWI.

Bell was traveling 60 mph in a 50-mph zone and performed poorly on field sobriety tests, according to the criminal complaint. While he did pass a breath alcohol test with a 0.0 reading, deputies said they found prescription drugs in his car and one pill in his pocket.

A blood test will show if Bell had prescription drugs in his system. Officials think the charges will be refiled once they find more evidence or get the lab results back from his test.

Under New Mexico law, a person can be arrested for DWI if they show impairment on the road. They don't have to be above the presumed level of intoxication if other evidence shows impairment.