Monthly Archives for July 2011

Flagstaff, AZ - No matter who you are, it is disturbing when there is an assault on a police officer. In this article, I will talk about Arizona laws relating to simple assault and how, when the simple assault is against a police officer, it becomes a serious felony offense.

Recently, the Arizona Daily Sun reported on an assault on a police officer. "A man attempted to run down a Flagstaff police officer in a car on Tuesday morning while officers responded to a domestic violence call."… Read More →

Flagstaff, AZ -  You may have seen it on the national news.  On the night of April 10, 2010, Raquel Nelson, of the state of Georgia, hopped on a bus with her three young children to go home.  The bus stop was across the street from their residence.  But it wasn't just any street.  It was a 4-lane highway, according to reports.  The nearest crosswalk to her bus stop?  Over a quarter mile away.

It was dark out.  She was alone with three young kids.  The bus stop had no crosswalk.… Read More →

When it comes to driving, the most typical reason for a traffic stop is speeding.  But the law isn't so simple as "if you drive fast, you are speeding" or anything like that.  As with all laws, Arizona speeding statutes are subject to a wide range of interpretation.

The most common speeding statute in Arizona is A.R.S. section 28-701(A), which states:

A person shall not drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, conditions and… Read More →

The Arizona legislature passed some dramatic changes to Arizona DUI statutes.  Let's review some of the changes to the Extreme DUI (0.15% or Higher) statute that haven't gone into effect yet, but when they do, will dramatically change DUI prosecutions.  I'll discuss the offense of Extreme DUI (0.20% or Higher) in a separate article.

Jail

The first question that comes to the minds of almost everyone charged with Extreme DUI is: Am I going to jail and, if so, for how long?  If you are… Read More →

"I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."  Thomas Jefferson, 1789.

For those charged with a DUI in Arizona, including political folks like Arizona State Representative Trish Groe (R) who has a history of DUI charges, a trial by jury was a guarantee.  Until now.  Starting soon, first-time DUI defendants facing misdemeanor DUI - Slightest or DUI - 0.08% or More charges will not have the… Read More →