EDITORIAL: "Doubts about  the accuracy of breathalyzer devices to test a driver’s blood-alcohol levels have lingered for years. And yet the criminal justice system relies on these tests in drunk-driving cases. But now that some prosecutors have abandoned the test until a full review can be completed, it’s only sensible for district attorneys statewide to suspend use of breathalyzers as well. As the Globe reported last week, some district attorneys are concerned about the reliability of breathalyzers. Calibration issues in the machine seem to be at the center of the review, but the exact nature of the problem remains unclear. This lack of confidence in the device, as well as the uneven use of breathalyzers throughout the Commonwealth, raises troubling questions. Potentially hundreds of charges of operating under the influence across the state can be legally challenged now, costing the state and taxpayers if those cases need to be reopened or retried. In the interest of transparency and accountability, a thorough and independent review should be launched, in addition to the one now being conducted by the State Police, and all use of breath tests should be halted by all district attorneys until the investigation is completed........"

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