Ex-officer's DWI case dismissed again

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - He was a cop when he was pulled over for DWI last year. And just as the ex-officer was set to stand trial, a math mistake at Bernalillo County Metro court added up to a judge dismissing his case.

"Well it looks bad,” Bernalillo County District Attorney, Kari Brandenburg said. “and it makes one wonder how that could happen."

Paul Gomez was a Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputy and a Bosque Farms police officer before his DWI troubles.

Gomez was a Bernalillo County Deputy when he was pulled over in Los Lunas in 2008 for DWI while he was driving his patrol car.

He got a ride home from a BCSO supervisor and was not charged.

In September of last year, Gomez, who was then with Bosque Farms police, was arrested for DWI after police said he crashed into a woman's car in Los Lunas.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney's office took the case because of a possible conflict of interest in Valencia County where the arrest happened.

“The court dismissed that case before the time of the hearing,” Brandenburg said.

Online court records show the judge dismissed the case in July because the prosecutor from DA's office was a no-show.

Brandenburg's office said the prosecutor was there, just outside the courtroom ready to go, but the judge started the session early.

"He certainly didn't get his day in court,” Brandenburg said about Gomez and the dismissed case. “Nor did the public get their day in court."

This Wednesday Gomez got lucky again.

He was set to go on trial for a DWI arrest last October where Albuquerque police said he caused a head-on collision.

Gomez was high on painkillers, according to a criminal complaint.

Metro Court Judge Briana Zamora originally scheduled the case for last week, but pushed it back because of a busy docket.

A court staffer rescheduled it for this Thursday.

"Somebody made a math error and the case was lost," said Metro Court Spokesperson, Janet Blair.

Blair said Thursday's trial date is just past the six-month deadline for trying a DWI case.

Judge Zamora dismissed the case after hearing this, and Gomez walked again.

"The clerk didn't catch it, the DA didn't catch it, “ Blair said. “and we set this case 6 days later that it should have been set, it is a regrettable error."

Gomez was with Los Lunas police back in 2000 when he was shot in the leg by friendly fire during a drug raid.

Sources tell News 13 he started taking pain pills after that injury.

Gomez resigned from Bosque Farms Police this year.

He does have one DWI conviction from 1992 before he was a police officer.