Recent Blog Posts in February 2010

A 22-year-old woman was arrested and taken into police custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.

Amanda Buckner was arrested after she struck a police car that was stopped to block traffic near a construction zone. According to police, Buckner drove around the stopped traffic and hit the cruiser, which had an officer inside.

Upon searching her vehicle police discovered marijuana and paraphernalia. There were also two children in the vehicle.

After determining Buckner was driving under the influence of marijuana, she was arrested and taken into police custody, along with her passenger Curtis Parker. Parker is wanted for multiple outstanding warrants.

Buckner was charged with DUI, aggravated DUI, and endangerment.

A former NHL hockey player was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was later booked for DUI and excessive speeding and  released pending BAC lab test results.

Early Monday morning an officer with the Scottsdale police department stopped a black Ferrari speeding near Scottsdale Road and Lincoln Road. The driver, later identified as Nikolai Khabibulin, smelled of alcohol and admitted he had been drinking.

The officer conducted a field sobriety test and later arrested the Phoenix Coyotes goalie for DUI. At this time, it’s not known what Khabibulin’s blood alcohol concentration was when he was arrested, but blood samples were taken. The results of those samples are still pending.

In effort to balance its $100 million budget deficit, the state of Arizona has announced it will permanently close nine MVD offices throughout the state.

What does this mean for you? It means that if you have been arrested for DUI and have to schedule an appointment with the MVD, whether to request an administrative hearing or to get your license reinstated after its been suspended, you could spend hours waiting in line or have to wait several days or weeks before you can get an appointment.

State legislators have been trimming state agencies’ budgets left and right, and funding for the transportation department is no exception. The department’s funding was reduced by 25%.

Two offices will be closing in the Valley: the office on 27 ^th and Washington streets in central Phoenix and the office on Sossaman Road and Main Street in East Mesa. The other seven offices scheduled to close include Ajo, Benson, Bisbee, Fredonia, Kearny, Superior, ad Willcox.

The closures will likely hit people in the central Phoenix area the hardest, as that office serves nearly 14,000 people per month.

Charged with DUI? A Phoenix DUI lawyer at the Knowles Law Firm is available to defend your case and contest your charges. To arrange a consultation, please contact the office at (888) 332-5621 or (602) 702-5431!

A former Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with Extreme DUI has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation.

The charges stem from an accident that occurred back in September. Deputy Daniel Williams was found in a crashed patrol car. According to the prosecution Williams’ blood alcohol concentration was .251, more than three times the legal limit.

In the state of Arizona, any driver found operating or in control of a vehicle with a BAC of .15 or more will be arrested and charged with Extreme DUI.  

Williams sustained only minor injuries, but a dog that was in the vehicle was killed in the accident.

In addition to the DUI charges, Williams was also charged with criminal damage.

Williams was fired from the sheriff’s department the day after the accident.

Although Williams was charged with Extreme DUI, any driver found with a BAC of .20 or more could be charged with Super Extreme DUI. Both of these offenses can lead to strict penalties, including incarceration, large fines, driver's license suspension, ignition interlock device installation, probation, and more. The best way to protect yourself following a DUI arrest is by contacting an experience DUI defense attorney. At the Knowles Law Firm, PLC, a knowledgeable and aggressive Phoenix DUI lawyer can defend you against your charges at both the MVD hearing and in criminal court in an effort to secure the best possible resolution to your case.

Approximately 650 drivers were stopped at a Tucson sobriety checkpoint, resulting in 10 DUI arrests.

According to the Tucson Police Department, of the 10 drivers arrested for DUI, three were arrested on extreme DUI charges, which means their blood alcohol concentration was at least .15%—twice the legal limit. One of the drivers was also under the age of 21.

Those drivers arrested for DUI had, on average, a BAC of .146 percent.

The checkpoint was set up on East Irvington Road and South Lostan Avenue from about 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on January 29. Around 4 a.m. on January 30 officers conducted a DUI saturation patrol.

In addition to the 10 DUI arrests, police also issued 57 other citations and 6 vehicles were impounded.

Arrested for DUI? A DUI Defense Lawyer Can Help!

If you were arrested at a DUI checkpoint in the Phoenix metro area, please take a moment to contact the Knowles Law Firm, P.C. An experienced Phoenix DUI attorney at our office can protect your rights and put up an aggressive defense at both the administrative hearing and in criminal court in an effort to secure the best possible verdict or resolution to your case!

Once again, the state of Arizona is cracking down hard on DUI offenders. Both Pima County and Nogales have received grants to help combat underage drinking and driving.

Pima County alone received more than $180,000 to implement more DUI checkpoints, track down drivers with outstanding DUI warrants, and conduct liquor license sweeps. The city of Nogales received $70,000 to do the same thing.

One of the areas DUI enforcement officers are hoping to target most is underage drinkers returning to the United States from Mexico. Because the drinking age in Mexico is 18, many young people travel across the border to drink and party, and then drive back into the U.S. In fact, people as young as 16 are going across the border because bars in Mexico don’t often ask for I.D.

Let’s just say it’s not a good idea for any young person to go across the border to drink. Not only is it illegal to drink and drive once you’ve re-entered the U.S., but due to the drug war raging in Northern Mexico it’s unsafe for American tourists of any age. That being said, if you and your friends decide to drink in Mexico, be sure to designate a sober driver. Once you enter Arizona, if you’re caught driving and driving you will be arrested and charged with DUI. Arizona has a very strict underage DUI policy, so strict in fact that having any detectable amount of alcohol in your system, even .01%, can lead to your arrest.

Our advice? If you’re under 21 be careful! The police are looking for people like you and will not hesitate to place you under arrest. In the event that you are arrested for underage drunk driving, you can contact the Knowles Law Firm to speak with an experienced Phoenix DUI attorney about your charges.