Judge Rejects Whistleblower Claims of D.C. Police Officers

A judge rejected a whistleblower lawsuit brought by three D.C. police officers over drunken driving enforcement.

The officers alleged they were retaliated against for raising concerns about inaccurately calibrated breath-testing equipment used to evaluate suspected drunken drivers. The police department stopped using the machines in 2010 after discovering problems that could make a driver's blood-alcohol content appear higher than it was.

The officers also suggested lawyers in the attorney general's office encouraged them to give false testimony.

Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein ruled in the District government's favor in rejecting the lawsuit Tuesday. There was no evidence to support the officers' claims, he said, calling them "absurd," "meritless" and "perverse."

The Court found police and the Office of the Attorney General acted appropriately upon learning of the problem, so none of the officers' actions related to it constituted whistleblowing.

Kris Baumann, the head of the police officers' union, said the judge's ruling prevents the D.C. government from being held accountable.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us