Charges against former BCSO deputy dropped for drunk driving

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – Nearly six months after a former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested for drunk driving, the charges against her were dropped because prosecutors felt there was simply not enough evidence.

During a New Mexico State Police DWI stop on New Year’s Day of this year, NMSP stopped and arrested then-Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy Adrienne Seay.

Policeman: “It’s 12:37, come out, ma’am.”

Now the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office says the officers did not have sufficient cause to stop them and the state is declining to prosecute the case. The state of New Mexico filed a motion to dismiss the charges on Friday, saying it “cannot prosecute due to insufficient evidence.”

In reviewing the case, prosecutors said they saw no evidence of poor driving in the autopsy video footage of the hitchhikers and that checkpoints have limited opportunities to truly assess a person’s driving.

The documents also show that, according to the officer’s report and video, Seay had no trouble getting out of her truck despite wearing a floor-length dress, sweatpants and high heels.

Policeman: “How much did you drink tonight? A few glasses of wine?”

The officer’s report also noted slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, but due to the camera angle, prosecutors said nothing could be heard or seen to prove this.

Policeman: “Step on my light and please look at my face, look at my face, step forward and hold on to your glasses.”

The documents further state that Seay was able to take off her high heels without losing her balance and that she completed the tests to determine alcohol addiction barefoot.

Police officer: “I’ll put you in the starting position. I’ll explain it to you and then I’ll show you how to do it. And then you do it, okay?”

During these tests, Seay had some difficulty walking, turning and standing on one leg, according to the state. But again, the state says that due to poor camera quality, some details are not clearly visible.

Policeman: “This is a sad, sad moment for me right now, okay.”

The state says a hearing in this case would likely not have found probable cause. Seay resigned from the BCSO after this incident.

KRQE News 13 reached out to NMSP, which conducted the stop, for comment but did not receive a response.