State Lends County Breath-Test Machine

State officials have lent a machine to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department crime lab to conduct breath tests for suspected drunk drivers.

The lab, which had its license to conduct such tests temporarily suspended in March, had been overseeing breath tests despite a specific order not to by the state Department of Health Services.

The lab does not actually conduct breath tests, but lab officials calibrate the machines used for those tests by the various law enforcement agencies in the county, said Cmdr. Bill Wade, who oversees the county crime lab.

Lab officials continued to calibrate the machines after the state order because state rules say the work cannot be done by another agency, Wade said.

Last week, in a letter to Sheriff Larry Carpenter, state officials warned that if the lab continued to disobey the state order it could jeopardize its efforts to regain its license.

But the loan of the state machine, which will be calibrated by state officials, will allow the department to continue to do breath tests, he said.

“The only problem is the inconvenience for people in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks that will have to come to the west county if they choose a breath test,” Wade said.

Typically, when someone is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the individual is given the option of a blood, urine or breath test. A breath test is the least intrusive of the tests, so many choose that, Wade said.

County officials hope to get their lab license renewed early next month.

The crime lab licensing problem began late last year when Norm Fort, the department’s forensic alcohol supervisor for more than a decade, retired.

The state gave the lab a 90-day extension, which was contingent on its passing a proficiency test.

The lab failed the test in February and two weeks later the state took over testing at its Santa Barbara crime lab, officials said.

Last week, the district attorney’s office alerted members of the Ventura County Bar Assn. that it would review all drunk-driving cases dating back to Nov. 15.

It is unclear if any cases will be affected by the review, but criminal defense attorneys have already challenged the results in at least one case and more challenges are expected, officials said.