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After nurse arrest, Utah lawmakers to clarify blood draw law

Rep. Craig Hall said in a Twitter message that he doesn’t have details yet on the legislation he’s planning

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers say they’re working on a law to clarify when police can draw blood without a driver’s consent after a Salt Lake City police officer was caught on video dragging a nurse from a hospital and arresting her.

West Valley City Republican Rep. Craig Hall said in a Twitter message Thursday that he doesn’t have details yet on the legislation he’s planning.

Detective Jeff Payne arrested University of Utah nurse Alex Wubbels in July after she refused to allow Payne to draw blood from an unconscious patient without a warrant.

Wubbels’ attorney Karra Porter told the Salt Lake Tribune that the law already makes it clear that the officer couldn’t draw the blood.

Payne’s attorney Greg Skordas says the patient had given implied consent to the blood draw because he had a commercial driver license.