Driving Under the Influence in Arizona Comes with Serious Consequences
If you’ve been stopped for driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, it can be a terrifying experience.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is a Class 1 Misdemeanor, but unlike many other Misdemeanor crimes, a conviction for DUI comes with mandatory jail time, fines, license consequences, and other collateral consequences.
If you are convicted a first-time DUI in Arizona, the judge must sentence you to ten days in jail. However, if you complete court-ordered alcohol treatment, the judge can waive nine of the days. The fines for DUI add up to nearly $2000, and additional costs are associated with probation, mandatory Ignition Interlock, counseling, among others.
If convicted of having a blood alcohol concentration above a .15, a judge is required to sentence you to 180 days in jail, and can waive 150 days if court-ordered alcohol treatment is completed. For a .20 or more blood alcohol concentration, a judge can only waive 135 days. What this means is that even if you have never been in trouble before in your life, you could spend 45 days in jail if convicted of DUI, and a conviction will cost thousands of dollars, and days, if not weeks of your life behind bars.
A DUI arrest can have many other collateral consequences including emotional and financial stress for you and your loved ones, loss of employment, occupational license, and ability to get a new job. College and high school students may lose scholarships and financial aid.
If you are charged with DUI, you are entitled to an attorney. An experienced DUI attorney is essential to effective defense of driving under the influence charges. Your attorney can help with license suspension issues, navigating the court system with as little stress as possible, and can help you avoid missing unnecessary work to attend court. Most importantly, an experienced DUI attorney will closely evaluate the facts and circumstances surrounding your stop, arrest, and all of the facts and evidence against you. This includes knowledge and experience in both the laws of Arizona and the United States Constitution, as well as expertise in proper field sobriety test administration, validation, and reliability, and blood and breath testing issues.
Successful defense against DUI charges depend on the circumstances surrounding your arrest. If police violate your rights during their investigation, the charges could be dismissed or your attorney can file a motion to prevent the government from using that evidence against you in court which lessens the chance of eventual conviction. Depending on the weight of the evidence, it may be a good idea to go to a trial by jury. Other resolutions may include reduction of charges, less jail time, or other non-trial dispositions.
Amanda Bynum at AJB Law firm has specialized training and experience in Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver from the National College of DUI defense including 1:1 training from industry-leading experts. In addition to Misdemeanor DUI defense, she has successfully litigated and trained other attorneys on felony-level DUI charges such as Child Abuse for having a chid in the car, Criminal Damage, and Aggravated Assault.
If you are facing DUI charges in Tucson, Pima County, or surrounding areas, call Amanda Bynum. AJB Law Firm offers a free initial consultation by phone, video, or in-person. Call or text (520)333-7977 today to find out how Amanda can help you resolve your charges. You can also send an email to: amanda@ajblawfirm.com
