STATEWIDE HOLIDAY TASK FORCE NETS 4,000 DUI ARRESTS: DUI ATTORNEY

Posted by DUI attorney Nick Alcock

Well, so much for a reduction in the number of DUI arrests in Arizona. While the DUI task force in Arizona started slowly, it looks like they made up for lost time. In all, over 4,000 were arrested for drunk driving across the state.

From Thanksgiving to December 22, about 2200 people were arrested for DUI. The last ten days of the effort resulted in 1800 people getting charged. In all, it appears that 500 more people were arrested for DUI this year than 2010.

Keep in mind that being arrested does not mean you are convicted. During the very busy task for times, there is an increase in cases charged where people are below the legal limit. Furthermore, in many blood cases, the police do not have the results back and do not know if the driver was over .08. DUI attorneys know that many times the cops are just guessing when they make an impaired driving arrest.

As a result, a significant number of DUI cases get thrown out in January when the blood results come back or when prosecutors examine the cases. A DUI prosecutor always has the ability to dismiss a case if it is in the interest of justice or there isn’t a reasonable likelihood of conviction. Sometimes DUI lawyers need to push a prosecutor to dismiss a case, and sometimes the State dismisses immediately.

So for drivers who are waiting for their court dates, what happens next? For people charged with misdemeanor DUI cases, usually the first court appearance is a short and painless affair. A judge will advise the defendant of the nature of the charges and enter a plea of not guilty. From that point, the case will be reset to a pretrial conference.

Usually within 30 days the police reports and blood results are made available. From that point on, a defendant can work with a DUI attorney to determine whether or not there are motions to dismiss the case that can be filed or if the case should be taken to trial.

TheDUI law firm of Alcock & Associates offers a free DUI consultation. Anyone charged with a DUI can call 602-989-5000 and ask to speak with DUI lawyer Stacey Feldman. Ms. Feldman will take the time to review the case and offer helpful information to survive the process.

Here’s what the Republic is reporting:
“The statewide DUI holiday task force has arrested more than 4,000 suspected drunk drivers in Arizona since Nov. 24. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said in a news release Sunday that 1,085 drivers have been arrested for extreme DUI and 385 people had been arrested for aggravated driving under the influence.”

Posted by DUI attorney Nick Alcock, owner of the law offices of Alcock & Associates, located in Phoenix, Arizona, serving Glendale, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale and other cities.