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Minnesota Widens DWI Breath-Test Review to At Least 447 Cases After New Blue Earth Findings

License restorations have begun in select counties following the BCA’s discovery of data-entry errors on DataMaster devices.

Overview

  • The BCA said 161 additional tests tied to a Blue Earth County instrument are under scrutiny, pushing the statewide tally to at least 447.
  • Sauk Centre and Chisholm were added to the jurisdictions under review, with officials describing limited errors linked to control-gas entries.
  • Investigators link the problem to incorrect or missing dry-gas cylinder data on DMT machines, and they have halted officer cylinder changes while securing cylinder compartments and updating maintenance procedures.
  • Prosecutors are conducting case-by-case reviews, with Hennepin County weighing nearly 40 tests and Winona County expecting dismissals or vacated convictions in 39 cases.
  • The Attorney General’s office has supported at least 11 driver’s license reinstatements in Aitkin and Olmsted counties, and defense attorneys note that flawed control data does not guarantee overturned convictions.