Surge in DWI dismissals under NY ‘discovery’ reform could lead to tragedy: cops

The alarming increase in the number of driving while intoxicated cases thrown out of court in Manhattan due to controversial evidence reforms could lead to tragedy, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Prosecutors “should be getting grace periods for certain things — especially DWIs — because it’s just allowing [drunken drivers] to go back out and empowering them to go and drink more,” one Manhattan cop noted.

Earlier this month, Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Staten Island, Brooklyn) introduced legislation that would give prosecutors an extra 30 days to collect and turn over “exceptionally voluminous” evidence, “including video footage from body-worn cameras, surveillance cameras or dashboard cameras.”

Scarcella-Spanton said her move was a response to repeated complaints from both Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez and Staten Island DA Michael McMahon.

“It’s a huge problem,” she said. “We don’t want to see someone who is violent get released because prosecutors are overburdened or because of a missing piece of paper.”

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