Jury Trials Return For Misdemeanor DUI Charges

Governor Jan Brewer has signed HB 2284 into law which requires the Courts to offer a defendant in a DUI case the option of a jury trial. This bill has an emergency clause and goes into effect immediately and will be applied retroactive from December 31, 2011. The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

Tempe DUI Crackdown

The Tempe Police Department has made 270 alcohol related arrests last week in a concerted crackdown on drunken driving and underage drinking. The department was aided by state and Arizona State University law enforcement agencies to reduce the number of crimes, violence, serious injury and fatal collisions that occur all too often with alcohol abuse and DUI. The crackdown included 184 underage drinking arrests and 45 for possession of alcohol by a minor. 8 individuals were arrested for DUI. The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

DUI Task Force Arrests Over 4,000 Since November 24th

The statewide DUI holiday task force has arrested more than 4,000 suspected drunken drivers in Arizona since November 24, 2011. 1,085 drivers have been arrested for for extreme DUI and 385 arrested for aggravated DUI.

The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

Ignition Interlock Device Requirements Changing January 1, 2012

Starting January 1, 2012, Arizona drivers convicted of a first-time DUI offense will get a slightly gentler sentence. A new state law will require first-time offenders to have an ignition-interlock device on their vehicle for six months, instead of the current requirement of a year. Arizona remains among the toughest states in the nation when it comes to DUI laws. It is one of 15 that require first-time offenders to have interlock devices, which prevent vehicles from turning on if alcohol is detected on the driver's breath.

The length of time first-time offenders must use the device varies by state. Oklahoma requires it for at least 30 days; Oregon, New Jersey and Missouri require it for six months; New Mexico and Pennsylvania require it for a year.
Arizona lawmakers in 2001 passed the law requiring repeat offenders to install ignition-interlock devices. In 2007, they required first-time offenders to have the devices. To comply, drivers must pay a provider to install the device, plus a monthly maintenance fee. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the devices cost about $120 to install and $80 a month to maintain.

The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

DUI Holiday Task Force Nets 2,800 Arrests

Arizona's holiday DUI task force has so far resulted in more than 2,800 arrests during the 2011 holiday period. Law enforcement agencies have conducted 46,194 traffic stops between November 24, 2011, and December 24, 2011. A year ago, officers made 33,395 traffic stops. Nearly 6,500 police, highway patrol officers, sheriff's deputies and volunteers are participating in DUI task forces around the state this month.

The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

Carefree Approves House Arrest

The Carefree Town Council has approved a home detention/electronic monitoring program for Carefree Municipal Court. The monitoring devices would most likely be used in DUI cases. The house arrest program has been adopted by several municipal courts. A DUI offender must first serve 15 days in jail and then would be eligible to serve the remainder of a 30 day sentence at home. The price for home detention would be paid on a weekly basis by the offender.

The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.

Holiday DUI Enforcement Task Force Starting

Arizona law officers are serious about arresting drivers who get a little too happy during the holidays. More than 70 Arizona law agencies and thousands of officers will participate in the Statewide Holiday DUI Enforcement Task Force this year, with the goal of getting drunken drivers off the road. On Tuesday, Office of Highway Safety Director Alberto Gutiersaid this year's motto, "Drive Hammered ... Get Nailed!'' embodies "our determination to protect the public." Gutier used $1.1 million of earmarked federal dollars to buy six DUI processing vehicles.
Phoenix acting Police Chief Joe Yahner said each processing vehicle "makes everything faster." "We can do blood and breath testing right in the vehicle and get our people back on the road," Yahner said. "It's a huge time-saver."
Last year in Arizona, there were 581 alcohol-related crashes, resulting in 33 fatalities, and police made 18,244 DUI arrests.

The information in this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Please contact us to obtain legal advice pertaining to your situation.