Houston mayor Annise Parker stopped the Houston police’s training to become certified phlebotomists.

Officers started training to draw blood in February after federal grant money was approved for the project in October .  The idea was that instead of taking suspects to nurses or hospitals to draw blood, police officers could do it in the police department’s downtown intoxilizer room where drunk drivers are booked.

Officers began their training drawing blood from state prison inmates.  Inmates that approved being part of their training were lined up for police officers to practice finding the veins to draw blood.  This testing was kept private with the understanding that the public most likely wouldn’t like the idea of using prison inmates as guinea pigs.  Officials believe that the prison testing did not have anything to do with Parker’s decision to halt the training.

A new proposal is now being discussed that would permit Houston firefighters and paramedics to perform blood draws.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a DUI, contact the Houston drunk driving defense lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer at 713-222-0400 to learn more about your rights.

A Houston driver with two children in the car was involved in a serious two-car accident that injured the children so seriously that they required emergency air medical evacuation.

While it was unclear which driver was at fault in the two-car accident on Highway 288 and Oak Drive, the driver with the children in the vehicle was cited for driving while intoxicated, a serious offense that could also come with a charge of child endangerment.

If you or someone you love is facing a DUI or DWI charge, an experienced lawyer may be your best chance of beating the charge. Please contact the Houston DWI attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400 today.