Albuquerque attorney denies DWI bribery scheme involvement

Albuquerque attorney Rudolph B. Chavez has denied being part of a criminal scheme involving DWI cases. This scheme has allegedly seen law enforcement officers take bribes from a law firm to prevent DWI suspects from being convicted. A week ago, the New Mexico Supreme Court asked Chavez to respond to a petition for his suspension from practicing law. This comes amid a federal investigation by the FBI, which has already led to guilty pleas from several former police officers and a defense attorney, Thomas Clear III. Clear admitted to charges like conspiracy and bribery but did not name Chavez as a participant. The scheme reportedly went undetected for years. Officers involved would fail to attend court or provide necessary documents in DWI cases. They would then pass the names of arrested individuals to an investigator, who would charge them high fees to get their cases dismissed. The petition to suspend Chavez was filed by Anne L. Taylor, the chief counsel for the disciplinary board. It stated that two defendants in the case hinted at another lawyer's involvement, whom they referred to as Chavez, although his name was not publicly disclosed in court documents. In his response, Chavez confirmed that he represented one of the individuals linked to the case but stated that his involvement did not align with the alleged activities of the scheme. He emphasized that no charges have been filed against him and argued there is no reason to suspend his law license. Clear, 67, has been disbarred and awaits sentencing. His plea agreement mentioned he worked alongside Chavez and others to help an arrested man dodge legal consequences. Chavez claims he was contacted by his client through an online search, not through any solicitation related to the scheme. The counsel's petition expressed concern that Chavez's continued practice might harm the public, given the extensive allegations against him. However, the timeline for the Supreme Court's decision on this matter is still unclear.