Critical Elements of Drug DUI Charges in Arizona

Phoenix DUI Attorneys Explain How to Challenge Your DUI Charges to Help You Avoid Conviction

It is illegal in Arizona – and in all the states in our country – to operate a vehicle while you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. What defines “under the influence” may vary by state. In Arizona, you are considered legally unable to drive if you have a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent. No simple test is available to test for the potency of drugs in a person’s system, but police officers will usually take a blood test to detect their presence if the use of drugs is suspected.

If you are ever arrested for driving under the influence, it is essential that you call a Mesa DUI defense lawyer and start exploring your legal options immediately. Fighting these charges can protect your criminal record and your future. By avoiding conviction, you can protect your ability to get the employment you want, to rent a home, to serve in volunteer roles, and more.

The Lead Up to Arrest

Your DUI arrest starts with a traffic stop. The officers may notice that the vehicle is veering in and out of the lane, that it is traveling too fast or too slow, or that it is behaving erratically in another way. The officer will pull you over and then will take note of anything that might indicate that you are under the influence, such as your speech, irregularity in your movements, or the dilation of your pupils.

If the officer suspects that you have been drinking, you will be asked to take a field sobriety test or to a blood-alcohol test by blowing into a machine. Both can be used to prove that you were driving under the influence. If the officer suspects that you are under the influence of drugs, you may be asked to take a blood test. If any of these tests indicate that you may be under the influence, the officer can arrest you and charge you with DUI.

Challenging the Testing

DUI defense attorneys in Phoenix know that a BAC test or even a blood test is not conclusive evidence of guilt. There are many ways to challenge the validity of a breathalyzer test, including challenging the calibration of the machine or other elements. A blood test can be challenged on the grounds that it does not show that you were currently under the influence of drugs, but merely that you have drugs in your system. Drugs metabolize in your body at different rates, and the test only measures the presence of metabolites. That only shows that your body is still processing the drugs, not necessarily that your cognitive abilities are still impaired by the drugs.

Typically, drugs stay in your body for about this long:

• LSD – three hours
• Morphine – eight hours
• Amphetamines – 12 hours
• Heroin – 12 hours
• Methamphetamines – 37 hours
• Barbiturates – 48 hours
• Cocaine – 48 hours
• MDMA – 48 hours
• Marijuana, or cannabis – 336 hours

Everyone is different, so some people may metabolize drugs more quickly or more slowly than others. Your DUI attorney in Mesa can use this information to challenge your arrest.

Working with an DUI Attorney

No matter the circumstances of your DUI arrest, you should always hire one of the best DUI defense lawyers you can find. Phoenix DUI attorneys know how to challenge the technical details on which these cases often rest, and they understand how many different circumstances can be wrongly interpreted to make the initial arrest and to decide on appropriate sentencing.

Your attorney will work to challenge your arrest to help you avoid conviction. Where that’s not possible, your DUI attorney in Phoenix  will work to have the charges or the sentencing reduced. Then you can begin moving forward more quickly after your arrest, rather than continue to struggle with the consequences of your arrest and conviction for years.

Call My AZ Lawyers if you have been charged with DUI in Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Tucson, or the surrounding areas. Our experienced and dedicated Arizona DUI defense lawyers are ready to help you fight your DUI charges. We will explore every legal strategy for vacating or minimizing your charges. If you cannot avoid conviction, our goal is to help you get the fewest penalties possible so you can move forward from your arrest quickly. Call us today to talk with one of our DUI defense lawyers about your case.

Arizona Offices:

Mesa Location:
1731 West Baseline Rd., Suite #100
Mesa, AZ 85202
Office: (480) 448-9800
Email: info@myazlawyers.com
Website: https://myazlawyers.com/

Glendale Location:
20325 N 51st Avenue Suite #134, Building 5
Glendale, AZ 85308
Office: (602) 509-0955

Tucson Location:
2 East Congress St., Suite #900-6A
Tucson, AZ 85701
Office: (520) 441-1450

Avondale Location:
12725 W. Indian School Rd., Ste E, #101
Avondale, AZ 85392
Office: (623) 469-6603