Arizona DUI Laws Could Ease Up Soon
Arizona is widely considered to be one of the toughest states when it comes to drunk driving laws. Nowhere in the nation is jail time more expected and longer for some first offense cases, and nowhere is a case harder to win.
Each year, the Arizona Legislature seems to propose tougher sanctions on DUI drivers. Past increases in the severity of the laws have ranger from adding weeks to jail sentences to adding years to the time a person must have an ignition interlock device following a drunk driving conviction.
Now, there are new proposals, which, if voted into law, would either eliminate or cut in half the time a first offense Arizona DUI convict must spend with an ignition interlock breath test device in their vehicle.
Part of the justification for the proposed law appears to be that the death rate, which is usually high in Arizona, has decreased. Any intelligent person must wonder about that logic. If deaths have decreased then, assuming that is viewed as a good thing, why change the law? Eliminating the need for interlock devices couldn't possibly save lives. If something isn't broken, you don't fix it... right?
Could it be that, as the DUI death toll decreases (for whatever reason), politicians can use it less as a hot button issue?
Tucson DUI Enforcement Unit Cut
In the wake of a record low death rate year, Tucson Arizona is cutting its DUI squad.
Many argue that doing this will allow them to isolate whether the unit was responsible for any part of the decreased death-rate. Others would argue that it may directly cause tragedy. For better or worse, Tucson will be without DUI officers a few nights a week starting early december.
Man Gets 12th Ohio DUI
A man was arrested on Thanksgiving for his twelfth Ohio OVI.
His BAC registered at .174, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Honolulu DUI Update
There have been several recent news stories about Honolulu DUI, the most recent of which is Chris Leben's accident and arrest for DUI in Honolulu.
Lose Your DUI Case - 5 Fail Safe Ways To Fail
I bet you have found hundreds of articles telling you how to beat a DUI. They give you magical tips. They promise you freedom, harmony and bliss, or at least make a thinly veiled attempt to convince you that the author is writing for you, rather than for the search engines.
At the risk of calling Simon and Garfunkel narrow-minded, there are an infinite number of ways to leave your lover, and there are just as many ways to get a drunk driving conviction on your record and go to jail.
It does not take an incompetent DUI attorney to ruin your case. You can do that for yourself. So the first failsafe way to lose your case is to not hire or seek the advice of an attorney. When you are charged with a crime as serious as this, there is simply no excuse for not consulting with an expert.
You are in a vulnerable state. You are stressed. And you should be, because if you don't make the right moves, you could go to jail and get branded as a criminal. And that would totally suck. Because of your vulnerability, the second surefire way to unsuccessfully defend your case is to present yourself to an attorney, the court or the prosecutor in a vulnerable state. Wait a second. Hold on. I can hear you now. There are many types of vulnerability. The type I advise against in this situation is ignorance. You see, the less you know the more likely you are to get a bad lawyer, accept bad advice, get a bad plea bargain or a bad verdict. The cure for this vulnerability is to do your homework. Get your head out of the sand. Right now. And start reading about the laws and procedures when your case will be heard (if you are illiterate and somebody is reading this to you, I don't know what to tell you... because the quality of educational videos on the subject is worse than the conditions of the nastiest cell block in San Quentin... sorry).
Getting a DUI sucks. Cops suck. Prosecutors suck. Lawyers suck. Judges suck. Jailers are thugs. Alcohol counselors are pussies. If you agree with any or all of the (totally general and typically false) assertions directly above, they congratulations, you're a natural at the third way to make sure you get incarceration enervation (not a spa treatment). All you have to do is stick with that attitude and be a terrible actor. Your feelings will show and you will get screwed.
Lawyers are lying, cheating, blood-sucking douche-bags, and there's no reason to tell my lawyer, who I resent for too many reasons to articulate (yeah, that's it), the truth. If you identify with that statement, just stick with it. Hire a lawyer, but withhold information about your case or your past. Make the lawyer earn her fees. Make her think on her feet. No reason to tell her you are wanted for sodomy in South Dakota, or that you have 5 other drunk driving charges pending in three other jurisdictions. The best thing about withholding this sort of information from your attorney is that you will get screwed in court. Probably hugely. Probably painfully. And the best thing is, while you are sitting in jail or having trouble getting a job, you have your very own personal scapegoat. What use is an attorney who doesn't have enough information to help you? That's it. An excuse to postpone self-reflection.
There are so many ways that you and your lawyer can f-up your case it's crazy. If you need a conviction in your life to help you work through some issues, any of the above will typically work.
For the astute reader who noticed that there are only four items listed, we need your help. Please let us know your favorite ways to ensure failure in defending a DUI case by commenting below. We will pick the best one and add it to this post (and give you full credit).
DUI Jail Survival 101
You did everything wrong. You got pulled over. You got arrested. You failed the blood test.
Then you did everything you could to make it right. You hired a DUI lawyer. You wrote out your version of events. You showed up in court.
Things may not have turned out as bad as they could have, but you are still going to jail.
Here's what you need to know to survive in jail, and why you need to prepare yourself.
Las Vegas DUI Lawyer Points Out DUI Officer Zealoutry
Preventative and preemptive police work is believed by some to prevent impaired driving accidents. But sometimes it goes too far. Las Vegas DUI lawyer Lawrence Taylor points out a case that demonstrates the obvious: an officer should have more than a smell of alcohol on a person's breath and no observed driving to arrest the person for DUI.
New Hampshire DWI Attorney Ryan Russman Gains Board Certification
We are pleased to announce that attorney and good friend Ryan Russman has earned Board Certification in impaired driving defense. Ryan is a New Hampshire DWI lawyer who defends people accused throughout the state. Congratulations Ryan.
Orange County DUI Lawyer on MADD
As usual, Orange County DUI Attorney Larry Taylor has some great observations about MADD. Seems that the non-profit may not be all it's cracked up to be. For Larry's great insights on the subject, see his DUI Blog.
Virginia DUI Lawyer Van Hardenbergh Joins DUIAttorney.com
I am pleased to announce that Van Hardenbergh has joined DUIAttorney.com and will be the Virginia DUI Attorney representative.
Mississippi DUI Lawyer Victor Carmody Joins DUIAttorney.com
I am pleased to announce that Mississippi DUI Lawyer Victor Carmody has joined DUIAttorney.com as the representative for Mississippi.
Vic is the only Mississippi DUI Attorney who is board certified by the National College for DUI Defense. He also served as Dean of the College from 2001 to 2002.
Vic is the only attorney in MS who owns an Intoxilyzer 8000 machine and who is also a DOT permit holder to operate the machine.
Many consider Vic to be the best DUI attorney in the State.
Kansas DUI Lawyer Brian Leininger Joins DUIAttorney.com
I am pleased to announce that Kansas DUI Lawyer Brian Leininger has joined DUIAttorney.com as the Johnson County Kansas DUI Attorney.
Mr Leininger focus his practice 100% on DUI Law, and related injury and death cases.
He is a former prosecutor and former counsel to the Kansas Highway Patrol. He is one of the few defense lawyers in the world to have completed training as a Drug Recognition Expert.
Brian frequently lectures to other defense attorneys on a state and national level on DUI and DUID (drug) cases.
Massachusetts OUI Attorney Mike Bowser
I am pleased to announce that Attorney Mike Bowser has joined DUIAttorney.com. Mr. Bowser is an excellent Massachusetts DUI defense lawyer, and is certified by the National College for DUI Defense as a DUI specialist (a designation held by only two other lawyers in the state, and subject to very rigid standards and requirements).
Mike will be the representative for the following areas starting on May 1, 2010:
Middlesex County Massachusetts DUI Lawyer
Essex County Massachusetts DUI Lawyer
We also announce the availability of the following slots:
Barnstable County DUI Lawyers
Berkshire County DUI Lawyers
Bristol County DUI Lawyers
Dukes County DUI Lawyers
Franklin County DUI Lawyers
Hampden County DUI Lawyers
Hampshire County DUI Lawyers
Nantucket DUI Lawyers
Norfolk County DUI Lawyers
Plymouth County DUI Lawyers
Suffolk County DUI Lawyers
For those on the waiting list for any of these Massachusetts Counties, I will contact you early next month. In the meantime, if you are interested, please feel free to give me a call at 480-951-3200.
Deadliest Catch DUI Saga Ends
Good news for the son of the star of Deadliest Catch.
Local News | No DUI charge for son of 'Deadliest Catch' captain | Seattle Times Newspaper: "The son of a recently deceased 'Deadliest Catch' fish boat captain won't be charged with drunken driving or hit-and-run following his arrest in Seattle last month.
Instead, the King County Prosecutor's Office says it will charge Jake Harris with reckless driving and driving with a suspended license."
Washington State Superintendent Gets DUI
Washington State schools superintendent Randy Dorn has been charged with a DUI outside of Tacoma, WA.
Local News | State schools superintendent Randy Dorn charged with DUI | Seattle Times Newspaper: "State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn has been charged with one count of driving under the influence.
Aaron Walls, prosecutor for the city of Orting in Pierce County, said he decided to file the charge after reviewing police reports and other evidence, which he said he received at the end of the day Tuesday.
Walls declined to provide more details, saying he would not discuss a pending case."
DUI arrests are common amongst educators, but much more rare among high-profile administrators.
