Breathalyzer Error Impacts DWI Tests in Winona County
Winona County is dismissing 39 DWI charges due to an issue with a breath test machine at the county jail.
A cylinder for a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) was incorrectly installed in the jail's DataMaster Transportable (DMT) breath test machine, according to Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude.
- The error was discovered by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) in September.
- A cylinder is a pressurized gas tank used in alcohol testing equipment.
- PBTs are breathalyzers used by officers to establish probable cause for an arrest.
- DMTs are secondary tests that produce more accurate results.
The cylinder got changed starting in June of 2025.
Author's summary: DWI charges dropped due to breathalyzer error.