Repeat DWI suspect released from prison

CLOVIS — A Clovis man whose eighth driving-while-intoxicated conviction was reversed Aug. 26 by the New Mexico Court of Appeals was released from prison on Monday.

Prosecutor Brian Stover said the appeals court suppressed most of the evidence in Randall Pruit’s case, so the district attorney’s office had no choice but to drop charges.

“We know he had cocaine in his system, but the field sobriety test and blood draw were all suppressed … so I can’t convict him of driving under the influence,” Stover said. “We tried to find anyone who saw him using cocaine earlier that day, but we could not find any evidence. The only charge we can prove is reckless driving, so we amended the charge to reckless driving (a misdemeanor).”

Pruit had been serving a 12-year prison sentence following his March 12, 2019, conviction.

The appeals court reversal was based on police pulling Pruit from his home without a warrant after a neighbor reported Pruit had crashed into their car.

Pruit’s eighth DWI conviction followed that Dec. 31, 2017, arrest, records show.