Gilbert DUI Lawyer

Published on: June 7, 2013

Arrested for DUI in Gilbert?

By Law Offices of Trent R. Buckallew, PC

If you were arrested for a misdemeanor DUI in the Town of Gilbert, you will likely be cited into the Gilbert Municipal Court or the Highland Justice Court – both located at 55 East Civic Center Drive in Gilbert, AZ. Felony DUI complaints are filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court – Southeast Facility, located at 222 East Javelina Drive in Mesa, AZ.

Investigating and litigating DUI cases can be complex, and if you plan to hire an attorney, it is important to find one who has experience in defending these types of cases. While there are many potential defenses in a DUI case, this discussion will focus primarily on "Procedural Defenses" which may be pursued in your case.

What are "Procedural Defenses"? Procedural criminal law is the formal procedures and protocols that the court uses to adjudicate criminal cases, including D.U.I. cases. It controls all stages of prosecution from the police investigation all the way through the trial and appeal. At each step of the process, there will be occasions for a competent Gilbert D.U.I. defense attorney to use the rules to help shape the focus the case. Opportunities for exclusion of evidence, and even dismissal of the case, can be fought for utilizing these rules of procedure. In Arizona, the procedural rules are formally titled the "Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure" and can be found online, or at any local law library. The attorney you chose to represent you in your Gilbert D.U.I. matter should know and understand these rules thoroughly. The importance of these rules cannot be overstated. Some of the procedural defenses that may be raised in D.U.I. or criminal traffic cases may include any number of the following issues:

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Published on: June 6, 2013

“Extreme” DUI Memorial Day Arrests

By Law Offices of Trent R. Buckallew, PC

According to recent media reports, this year's DUI task force arrests exceeded last year's numbers both in the number of people arrested as well as in the average blood-alcohol levels (BAC) of those arrested, compared to previous years. There were 559 people arrested for DUIs over the Memorial Day weekend, up from 547 in 2012 and the average BAC level was .153 – almost twice the legal limit of .08. Of the 559 DUI arrests, 148 of those were charged with "Extreme DUI", meaning their BAC was believed to be at 0.15 or greater. The biggest difference between a regular (non-extreme) 1st Time DUI is the increased jail time (1 day for a Non-Extreme DUI or 30 days for an Extreme DUI) as well as the increased financial penalties for an Extreme DUI.

Other DUI arrests over the Memorial Day weekend included 103 drug-related DUI's, which exceeds the annual totals over the past five years. You can be charged with DUI-Drugs if any sign of a prohibited substance is detected by forensic testing in the crime lab. It is important to note that the crime lab may detect the substance even if the drugs were ingested over a week earlier. Because Arizona permits prosecution upon a finding of the metabolite of a prohibited substance, and because metabolites will remain in the system long after the active ingredient has dissipated, the time frame for acquiring necessary evidence for prosecution can be quite lengthy.

The number of Aggravated DUI arrests this Memorial Day weekend totaled 60 which was a slight decrease over the past few years. A person can be charged with Aggravated DUI under various circumstances, such as, your driver's license was suspended or revoked at the time of the DUI arrest, you had a minor child under the age of 15 in the car at the time of the DUI arrest, or this is your third DUI in a 7 year period. The minimum incarceration time if convicted of an Aggravated DUI is four months in the Arizona Department of Corrections (prison).

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Published on: May 24, 2013

Mesa PD Memorial Day DUI Task Force

By Law Offices of Trent R. Buckallew, PC

According to a recent news release by the Mesa Police Department, they will be participating in the annual East Valley Memorial Day DUI Task Force. These operations will consist of both sobriety checkpoints as well as DUI saturation patrols throughout the East Valley. The task force will be employing a zero-tolerance approach to any driver found to be impaired either by alcohol and/or drugs, and also any underage driver or passenger with alcohol in their system. Law enforcement is reminding people to enjoy the holiday, drink responsibility and either designate a sober driver, call a cab, or ride the light rail.

If you have been arrested for a DUI or any other criminal violation, it is important to understand your rights. Before police begin questioning a suspect, he/she is required to read you a Miranda warning, reminding you of your rights. Listed below is an example of typical language used in a Miranda warning:

You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future.
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish.
If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney

Whether you are in custody, or out of custody, it is important to understand that you should not speak with anyone about your case except your attorney. This is especially true if you are in custody, as all of your communications can be monitored, especially communications on jail telephones. Communications with your attorney are protected and privileged, including communications over the jail telephones. Therefore, do not communicate with anybody about your case other than your attorney. This applies to individuals who are in custody and out of custody.

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