ST. PATRICK’S DAY DUI TASKFORCE ARRESTS 50+

DUI attorneys are surprised to see that there weren’t more DUI arrests over the St. Patrick’s day holiday weekend. The West Valley DUI task force is reporting that out of more than 300 traffic stops, fifty drivers were cited for DUI. In all, over 30 officers participated in the saturation patrols. During those task forces, police aggressively stop traffic looking specifically for impaired drivers.

It is somewhat surprising that only 50 people were arrested for DUI. It appears that the task force last weekend was relatively limited in scale. Normally when police aggressively patrol, more people are arrested. Perhaps budget concerns prevented the task force from utilizing more officers and more motor units.

If you are pulled over for a DUI offense in Arizona, know that you always have the right to speak with a DUI attorney before submitting to any test. As a driver, you have the right to refuse any physical sobriety test, such as walk and turn, or the HGN pen test. However, if you are arrested, the police can obtain a warrant if you refuse a breath, blood or urine test. If you do refuse such a test, you license may be suspended for a year.

Generally, the advice that we give is to immediately ask to speak with a DUI lawyer prior to answering the officer’s questions or submitting to the “roadside Olympics.” The police must give you a reasonable opportunity to speak with a DUI attorney prior to conducting the blood or breath testing. If you invoke your right to an attorney and they do not give you such an opportunity, the whole case can be dismissed.

Furthermore, you do have the right to obtain an independent blood sample. If you wish, after you submit to a blood test at the police station, you can request to obtain a sample from a nearby hospital. If the police do not give you this opportunity, you case can be dismissed or the evidence suppressed.

If you want to speak with a DUI attorney about a case in Arizona, call 602-989-5000. Posted by DUI lawyer Nick Alcock, the owner of A&A.