Recent Blog Posts in January 2010

Thanks to more than $100,000 from three separate grants, the Chandler Police Department plans “up” its DUI enforcement efforts in the hopes of reducing the number of drunk drivers on the road and DUI accidents.

The grant money came from the state Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. An $80,000 grant will go towards hiring more staff to support DUI arrest patrols and general DUI enforcement throughout the year. Not only will the money be used to hire new officers and personnel, but a portion of it will go toward paying current officers for additional shifts, as well as for the East Valley DUI Task Force to help more with finding and arresting drunk drivers.

A $12,854 grant will be applied towards purchasing 14 portable breath test units for officers to use during their DUI investigations. A portion of the grant will also be used to buy medical and safety supplies for the department’s phlebotomy program, which is necessary for collecting evidence needed to gauge an impaired driver’s blood alcohol concentration level.

Based on this article, you can see that law enforcement is stepping up its game and cracking down hard on DUI offenders. If you are searching for a DUI lawyer in Phoenix, Chandler, or any of the surrounding areas, contact the Knowles Law Firm today for dedicated and experienced DUI defense representation you can rely on!

A popular Scottsdale radio DJ was recently arrested for driving under the influence, according to an article on azcentral.com.

George B. Campbell, who makes up half the Ben & Matt morning show on KNIX county radio station 102.5, was arrested January 8 on suspicion of DUI.

Police allegedly clocked Campbell driving close to 90 mph in a 50-mph zone. A police report also indicated that Campbell submitted to a breathalyzer test and blew a .144. If Campbell’s BAC test had registered at .15% he could have been charged with Extreme DUI.

Campbell told the officers that he was heading home from a college football game and had had “a few beers on the plane." He apologized for speeding and asked the officers if they would just take him home. The officers refused Campbell’s request and brought him into custody, where he was booked into jail.  He was later released.

Arizona is one of the few states in the country that has something called “Extreme DUI” and “Super Extreme DUI.”  Both of these offenses are enhanced versions of a basic  DUI charge:

Extreme DUI

A defendant will face Extreme DUI charges if his or her blood alcohol concentration is .15% or higher.  At this point, the driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle is severely compromised.  Extreme DUI is punishable by:

• A 90-day driver’s license suspension
• Up to 5 years probation
• 30 days in jail
• Mandatory participation in an alcohol treatment program
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

A second Extreme DUI conviction will result in further enhanced penalties, such as:

• $2,000 or more in fines
• A 1-year driver’s license revocation
• Up to 5 years probation
• 60 days in jail, 120 days total
• Mandatory participation in an alcohol treatment program
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

Super Extreme DUI

Super Extreme DUI charges will be brought against any driver found operating a vehicle with a BAC level of .20% or more.  This is the most serious DUI charge a person can face, and involves much higher penalties, including:

• 45 to 180 days in jail
• Installation of an ignition interlock device for 18 months
• Up to 5 years probation
• More than $3,000 in fines
• Driver’s license suspension/revocation

Naturally, if you are charged with a second Super Extreme DUI, the penalties will be much harsher.

When DUI checkpoints first started, it was a way for law enforcement officials to catch unsuspecting drunk drivers.  Part of the reason these checkpoints were so effective, and have continued to be effective, is that they catch drunk drivers off-guard.  Once a driver pulls into a checkpoint there is no way of getting around it.  The only way to pass through a checkpoint is to actually go through it.

Newspapers, TV news anchors, and other news outlets sometimes report when a DUI checkpoint is scheduled, but now people are taking matters into their own hands. Users of Twitter, the popular social networking/micro blogging site, are sending tweets altering people to the whereabouts of DUI checkpoints. When a person posts a tweet, it reaches his/her “Twitter friends” instantaneously, and many people have twitter updates sent directly to their cell phones in the form of a text message. Should a tweet come through about a DUI checkpoint, people can easily drive in the other direction if they’ve had too much to drink.

It seems as though police aren’t really angry about the warnings, but rather are concerned that drunk drivers who should be caught and arrested are still on the road,  risking the lives and safety of those around them.  Police officers are also concerned about people looking at their cell phones while driving, which has proven to increase a person’s chances of getting involved in an accident.

If you hold a commercial driver’s license and you have been arrested for DUI, it is crucial that you obtain experienced DUI defense representation right away. 

As a commercial driver you have a lot more at stake, as your job is ultimately on the line.  If convicted of drunk driving, your driver’s license will undoubtedly get suspended, if not revoked. Without a valid CDL, you will no longer be able to work, and your employer may not keep you on staff.  In their eyes, you are too much of a liability. Without being able to work, how will you support yourself? Your family?  Will you be able to get another driving job in the future? If you can’t get another driving job, how will you support yourself and your family?  These are all important questions to ask yourself when faced with DUI charges. 

In addition, the laws are a lot stricter for commercial drivers.  Whereas the normal blood alcohol concentration limit is .08%, commercial drivers cannot drive with a BAC above .04%.

A Prescott man faces multiple charges after trespassing on a woman’s property and then driving away drunk.

According to the Prescott Valley Police, the man, later identified as 43-year-old Richard Cole, appeared at the woman’s sliding glass door early Tuesday morning, and then went around to the front of the house to ring the door bell.

Cole then took off in a gray four-door car, which officers were eventually able to locate and pull over.

Upon observation, officers believed Cole to be driving under the influence of alcohol, and a DUI investigation revealed Cole's blood alcohol concentration was above the legal limit.  He was also driving without an ignition interlock device.

Cole was taken into police custody and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on the following charges: aggravated DUI, extreme DUI, DUI over .08 percent, DUI impairment, failure to have an ignition interlock device, and trespassing.

Needless to say, if convicted Cole can expect harsh sentencing from the judge, which is likely to include imprisonment, large fines, probation, mandatory alcohol classes, and the suspension or revocation of his driver’s license.