Many people become despondent when they go home after an AZ DUI arrest and start googling. The overwhelming majority of people arrested for a DUI have never been in trouble before, and officers often use that naiveté to their advantage and get people to say and do things during the investigation that they later regret.
As an experienced DUI lawyer, I’ve seen this happen countless times.
Usually, the things said and done aren’t that important. Sure, it changes how we represent our clients, or what things we highlight or downplay; but the things that are said and done aren’t usually fatal.
The larger problem
A significantly bigger problem that I see is the paralysis that speaking too freely directly causes. Many people become frustrated with themselves because of their over-participation, and like an ostrich they bury their head in the ground instead of seeking help right away.
Denial is not the correct response. The major reason is that Arizona has a slightly bizarre bifurcated hearing process.
The accused is required to go to court for their arraignment (the date on the ticket) and simultaneously make an affirmative request for a hearing or summary review with the MVD within 15 days.
The date on the ticket is usually more than 15 days out, and we see a large portion of accused impaired drivers lose their MVD case and hurt their criminal case without ever knowing that they had some duty to request a hearing.
The effects of this oversight can be disastrous for the accused, significantly undercutting their criminal case.
Educate yourself
To the skeptics reading this, I realize how self-serving this sounds. Of course, a DUI lawyer thinks that you need representation, and you really need to speak with someone immediately.
I can only encourage people to educate themselves. The best way to do that is to search out a free consultation with an experienced DUI attorney as soon after the arrest as possible.
