Articles Posted in ARIZONA DUI TOPICS

Arizona Court of Appeals: Mistake of Law must be Objectively Reasonable to Avoid Suppression of Evidence obtained after the Stop

Can an Arizona Police Officer’s misreading of a clear and unambiguous law give rise to reasonable suspicion, thereby making a stop lawful?

This was a question for a recent Arizona Appeals Court to decide. In the case, the court considered whether a deputy had reasonable suspicion to stop a driver because the officer thought the rear display light on his vehicle was unlawful.

This article takes a closer look at how defense successfully challenged an unlawful police stop due to the police officer’s mistake of law with these topics:

20 Alcohol & DUI Safety Tips; 7 Facts about high BAC; Arizona’s Extreme DUI Laws; Penalties; and Criminal Defense in Arizona

Summer holds inherent risks of danger for outdoor drinking because the sun increases the effects of alcohol.

Heavy drinking combined with excessive sun exposure causes fluid loss, fatigue, dehydration, exhaustion, severe sunburn, alcohol poisoning, and impaired driving charges.

Other potential injuries and criminal charges occur as a result of excessive drinking including auto, boating, ATV, or motorcycle crashes; burns, drownings, assaults and violent crimes and DUI charges.

In Arizona high BAC levels call for harsh penalties in the event of a conviction.  This article will provide insight into Arizona laws and penalties for Extreme DUI and Super Extreme DUI charges.

  • 7 Facts about Excessive Drinking During Summer Months
  • 20 Alcohol Consumption and DUI Safety Tips
  • Arizona Extreme & Super Extreme DUI Laws and Penalties
  • Criminal Defense for Extreme and Super Extreme DUI in Mesa AZ

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A Comprehensive Overview of Arizona’s Ignition Interlock Program & Legislative Changes

Arizona drivers currently found guilty of DUI charges are required to install and use an ignition interlock device (IID).

It doesn’t matter that their DUI did not involve alcohol.  It doesn’t’ matter that they never used alcohol a day in their lives.

Requiring a person convicted of a drug DUI to install and submit to an IID screening before they can start their vehicle, never made a lot of sense.

This was particularly true if the driver didn’t drink alcohol, considering that current IID technology does not allow for detection of drugs in a person’s body.

Current IID technology is limited to detection of spirituous liquor on a person’s breath during exhalation.

It may have served a punitive purpose;  but it did nothing to prevent a driver from driving impaired due to drugs.

This however, is about to change.

Arizona’s SB 1228 has passed.  It will allow for judges to have some discretion as to whether or not to impose installation and use of an IID for Drug DUI convictions.

This article provides a comprehensive look at Arizona’s Ignition Interlock Device Program and other related topics included:

  • Overview of Arizona SB 1228
  • Ignition Interlock Devices used in DUI Sentencing
  • Arizona Removes Ignition Interlock Device Requirement for Drug DUI
  • How the new law will Impact Arizona Drivers
  • Driver Obligations for Use and Reporting of Ignition Interlock Device
  • 10 Frequently Asked Questions about Arizona DUI IID Program
  • DUI Classifications, Penalties & Criminal Defense Mesa AZ

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Voluntariness VS. Submission to Lawful Assertion by Authority

In the recent ruling the Arizona Supreme Court considered a Fourth Amendment issue and Arizona’s implied consent law in DUI case.

The cases centered around two primary issues.  The first was whether or not  consent to a warrantless search to conduct DUI breath and blood tests were voluntary, after suspect agreed to submit to them only after the officer instructed him repeatedly about the law.

The next question for the court was whether or not the advisement by the police officer was given in good faith when the officer believed that his conduct was lawful and not in violation of the suspect’s 4th Amendment rights.

This article provides a case overview, legal principles that applied, and the additional related resource information:

  • Impact of Ruling on Arizona Drivers;
  • Good Faith Exception to the Exclusionary Rule;
  • Arizona Courts on what Constitutes Voluntary Consent to Search;
  • Answers to the question surrounding “Should I consent to a DUI Test in Arizona?”;
  • 10 Common Defenses for DUI Charges in Arizona

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Arizona Court of Appeals considers reasonableness in accommodating suspect’s request for counsel before breathalyzer test.

If you are arrested for a DUI, you have a right to request an attorney’s assistance right away.  But how much time are you given to find an attorney before you are given a Breathalyzer?

In a recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, the defendant was convicted of aggravated DUI, for driving while impaired with a license that was suspended or revoked.

The Defendant appealed the convictions with several challenges.  The central argument was that the trial court had erred in denying his motion to suppress the results of a breathalyzer test due to being deprived of his right to counsel.

Arizona Court of Appeals: A search subject to probation terms significantly diminishes privacy rights

If you are placed on probation for a drug crime in Arizona, you have a reduced expectation of privacy than you had before.

This means that, depending on the probation conditions, the privacy protections you thought you had under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution related to search and seizure may not apply.

In a recent Court of Appeals case  the state of Arizona appealed after the lower court granted a defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence of a warrantless search.

In this article we will examine a recent Court of Appeals case which centered around the challenge of a warrantless search at the residence of a probationers.

We will also take a closer look at some key legal concepts that the court examined in the process establishing a ruling in this case.  The legal concepts we will discuss following the overview and court ruling summary include:

  • Privacy rights for warrantless searches under the U.S. Constitution 4th Amendment;
  • Privacy rights for warrantless searches of a person’s residence under the Arizona Constitution Article 2, Section 8;
  • A comparison of the two, and discussion as to why the more liberal privacy rights afforded under Arizona law did not apply;
  • Assessing “Totality of the Circumstances” for reasonableness of a warrantless search on a probationer’s residence.

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Impact of Appeals Court Ruling on Arizona Drivers

Your Guide to understanding the DUI blood test with medical treatment warrant exception.

A DUI blood test taken by Police for investigating impairment is considered a search and seizure, protected by our 4th Amendment rights.

This means that to obtain DUI blood or chemical evidence police would need either consent; or a warrant to order a DUI blood or chemical test.

There are exceptions to the requirement of a warrant. One of these exceptions under Arizona Law is DUI blood test or testing incidental to medical treatment.

Police can request a blood or chemical test be taken for criminal investigation reasons incidental to Medical Treatment.

This exception is often used following an accident, when the police suspect the driver may have been impaired due to alcohol or drugs.

If the police have probable cause, they can bypass a warrant, and request a DUI blood or chemical test from the medical provider treating the driver.

Under A.R.S. section 28-1388(E), if an Arizona police officer has probable cause to believe someone has violated the statute that prohibits driving under the influence (A.R.S. S 28-1381), and blood or another bodily substance is taken from that person, and enough of the sample that is sufficient for analysis will be provided to a police officer if requested for law enforcement objectives.

However, a DUI blood test cannot be requested by police if the suspect has expressly rejected medical care.

Precedent case rulings on this issue have held that if the treatment is not obtained voluntarily, than neither was the DUI blood test.

The scope of this exception was the subject of a recent Arizona appellate decision which we will discuss in this article.

                            DUI Testing with Medical Treatment in absence of a Warrant

[Arizona Court of Appeals Division 1 – No. 1 CA-CR 12-0780 10-20-15]

In this case, the defendant appealed from convictions for reckless manslaughter, endangerment, and possession of narcotic drugs. The defendant argued that the court shouldn’t have denied his motion to suppress his blood test results, which were secured for law enforcement objectives under A.R.S. section 28-1388(E).

The case arose when the defendant hurt four people and killed a pedestrian in a head-on collision while speeding in a residential area early one evening. Hospital personnel took blood from him, and the blood test results showed he was high on meth and heroin at the time of the crash. Witnesses later gave testimony about his erratic driving and related conduct.

The defendant was charged with second-degree murder, possession, or use of narcotics, and four counts of endangerment. All of these are felony counts.  A motion to suppress the blood test evidence was filed by his defense, on the grounds that it was obtained without a warrant, and that he had expressly refused medical care at the time.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress, the defendant did not testify, but the court heard testimony from six witnesses. The witnesses, who were police officers and paramedics, testified that a nurse was tending to the defendant when they arrived. He was flailing and screaming and wouldn’t answer questions. One officer had been an EMT before becoming a police officer and testified that the defendant’s speech was slurred and that she couldn’t understand him in his delirium. Another officer saw syringes and an uncapped needle inside the car.

The defendant aggressively pushed away the paramedics and tried to hit them with a closed fist. However, the paramedics testified that due to the severity of his injuries, they needed a doctor’s clearance to not take him to the hospital, and they couldn’t get that. They effectively transported him against his will. He continued to be aggressive in the ambulance. Another officer said his behavior was consistent with someone drunk or high.

At the hearing for the motion to suppress, the lower court found that while it was possible to view the defendant’s conduct as a rejection of medical care, it wasn’t enough to count as a clear, unambiguous rejection of medical treatment. Accordingly, the lower court denied the motion to suppress the blood test.

The jury found the defendant guilty, and he was sentenced to 15 years for the manslaughter, as well as three years of imprisonment on each of the other convictions. He appealed.

The appellate court explained that a blood draw is considered a search under the Fourth Amendment. There are three constitutionally permissible ways in which police can get a blood sample: (1) by showing probable cause and getting a warrant, (2) express or implied consent, and (3) the exception provided by A.R.S. section 28-1388(E) that allows a police officer with probable cause to take part of a blood sample taken for another reason. However, the third way cannot be used if someone unambiguously, clearly, and expressly exercises their constitutional right to refuse medical treatment.

The issues before the appellate court were (1) whether the State had probable cause to believe there was a violation of A.R.S. S 28-1381, and (2) whether there was an express refusal of medical treatment. The appellate court found that the testimony of the officers showed there was probable cause. It found that there was no evidence to show the police asked that the defendant be taken to the hospital. There were also no oral statements made by the defendant specifically asking not to get medical assistance. The conviction was affirmed.

Updated March 13, 2017 

On February 1, 2017 the Arizona Supreme Court remanded the Maricopa County Superior court decision, and vacated the Appeals Court decision.

The Arizona Supreme Court held that the prosecution is required to prove that the defendant provided an express or implied consent to medical treatment.   If the defendant was unable to verbalize or otherwise express their consent, the state must prove that paramedics did not act against the suspect’s right to direct their own medical treatment.

The Court held that the evidence of record did not clearly or conclusively show that the suspect was capable or in a state of mind to direct his own medical treatment.   Further the the record did not show that the EMTs acted within the or against the rights of the suspect to make a decision about his medical care.

As a result the Court remanded for continuance of proceedings to the trial court to make the determination of whether or not police obtained the blood sample legally, based on specified standards.  These standards included 1) probable cause of DUI; 2) exigent circumstances; 3) blood draw was for a medical purpose; and 4) the paramedics did not violate the right of the suspect to make the decision regarding whether or not to consent to the medical treatment.

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Your Guide to Understanding Consequences of DUI with Accidents; and Unforeseen Parental Liability Actions

In a tragic turn of events, Phoenix police reported that a 14-year-old boy, driving a mid-size sedan, allegedly under the influence, sped through a red light signal and crashed into an SUV.

The SUV was carrying three people, a man, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter.

The toddler was thrown from the SUV and sustained life threatening injuries.  The man suffered head and lung injuries.

The man’s girlfriend, a passenger in the SUV is listed in stable condition but still in the hospital late last week.

The 14-year-old driver of the sedan that ran the red light signal, and his 17- year-old passenger whom the police report were under the influence of alcohol both suffered minor injuries.

It is unclear who owned the sedan driven by the 14-year-old was driving.

The driver was later taken to the Juvenile Court Center.  The 17-year-old passenger was released to his family.

The 14-year-old has reportedly since been charged as an adult, and faces 4 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to Maricopa County Prosecutor and Court records, the decision to prosecute the youth as an adult was based on the severity of the accident and victim’s injuries.

A secured release bond was ordered by the judge for $100,000.00, and the next court date set.

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Overview of the Ruling; Strategies for Defense and Prevention of Repeat DUI Arrests

Approximately 37 million people visit Arizona each year, and 16 million of those visit the Phoenix Metro   area.   Whether they are here to vacation, attend school or sporting events, or to see the attractions our State has to offer, many will be driving.

Unfortunately, some will be arrested for impaired driving.  Suddenly, what was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable trip turns into a nightmare.

One of the most common questions a person asks after being arrested for a repeat offense, if they are visiting or a new resident to Arizona is “How will my prior DUI received in another state, impact my current DUI charges?”      

Recently, an Arizona Appeals court addressed prior DUI charges involving out-of-state DUI convictions.  The Appellate court considered whether a prior out-of-state DUI conviction would be used to reclassify charges to a felony for a third DUI conviction.

In this case  the defendant had been charged with two counts of aggravated DUI, two counts of aggravated driving with a BAC of .08 or more and aggravated assault on a peace officer.

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“DUI arrests for “probable cause” doesn’t mandate that the police officer show a driver was actually under the influence, only that it is probable that he was”.A police officer need only have a reasonable suspicion that you have violated a traffic law (like the speed limit) or engaged in criminal activity to stop you. “Reasonable suspicion” means that there is a “particularized and objective basis” for believing somebody had violated the law. Once you are stopped, there must be probable cause to arrest you.

In a recent case, the Arizona Court of Appeals considered whether there was probable cause where the defendant was convicted of four counts of aggravated driving under the influence (aggravated DUI). The defendant had been stopped in his vehicle after a police officer visually estimated he was going fifteen miles over the speed limit. According to the police offer, he’d been trained to accurately estimate vehicle speed within five miles per hour.

Once the officer stopped the defendant, he saw the defendant had watery bloodshot eyes, spoke with slurred speech, and smelled like alcohol. The defendant couldn’t find his driver’s license and gave the officer his social security number. It turned out that he provided his wife’s social security number. When the officer learned this, he asked the defendant for his wife’s social security number. This time, the defendant gave him his own number. The officer administered a test for alcohol impairment. When the defendant refused a breathalyzer test, he was arrested.

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