This is an Intoxilyzer 5000, a computer-based system for determining the blood-alcohol content of a person arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, due to a massive failure and/or product defect, the machines were generating false positive tests in many cases, throwing into doubt hundreds of DUI cases dating back to October of 2008. Worse, it’s 8 of the department’s 10 units that are under suspicion of producing faulty results. It’s not clear how long the department knew of the issue before replacing the units, or how this will be handled in the public eye.
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
