Scottsdale 24 Hour DUI Attorney
Getting pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving can happen anytime, but it’s especially common around 2:00 a.m., when many of the bars in Scottsdale close. If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DUI, you need to act fast to protect your legal rights. Don’t wait until normal business hours to call a lawyer—contact a 24 hour DUI attorney as soon as possible.
Do I Really Need a DUI Lawyer in Scottsdale?
Drinking and driving is taken very seriously in Arizona, with some of the toughest laws in the country for offenders. In fact, Arizona’s zero tolerance policy for alcohol means that you can be convicted of a DUI even if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is under the legal limit of 0.08%.
Impairment to the slightest degree applies not only to alcohol, but also to legally prescribed drugs, including marijuana, if an arresting officer believes they have impaired your ability to drive or safely operate a motor vehicle. You can be feeling completely sober from all drugs and alcohol and still be charged with impaired driving if there is any amount of alcohol, a drug, or its metabolite in your system. .
Because of these stringent laws, getting the charges against you reduced or dismissed often requires having an experienced and steadfast criminal defense attorney on your side.
How An Attorney Can Help You Beat a DUI Charge
Fighting a DUI charge in Arizona isn’t always easy, but many cases aren’t as cut-and-dried as they seem. A Scottsdale DUI lawyer will be able to help you explore all possible defenses.
What If I Failed the Field Sobriety Tests?
Did you know that scientific research has shown that field sobriety tests are often inaccurate in measuring whether or not someone is intoxicated? That’s why Lerner and Rowe Law Group encourages drivers not to submit to field sobriety tests, an action which is well within your rights during a traffic stop. (See our blog for more details on what you should and shouldn’t do if you’re pulled over for impaired driving).
However, even if you’ve already “failed” a field sobriety test like the one leg stand test, walk and turn test, or the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, there are many other factors that can affect the outcome of your case, such as whether the arresting officer had probable cause to pull you over in the first place, whether you were read your Miranda rights, denied your right to counsel, etc.
What If My BAC was Over the Legal Limit?
There are two main methods of assessing someone’s BAC: blood tests and breathalyzer tests. Unfortunately, neither test can be relied on for 100% accuracy. Portable breathalyzer results may be compromised by factors like radio frequency interference, the presence of mouth alcohol, and other limitations.
Even though blood tests are generally much more accurate, portable breathalyzer tests are often administered in the field. Like field sobriety tests, you are not required to submit to a portable breathalyzer test. While this will likely result in being arrested, it prevents a potentially inaccurate breath test result from being used as probable cause.
However, if you’re asked to submit to a breath test (using a testing machine that is not hand held) after being arrested, our DUI attorneys advise to request to speak to a lawyer first and then consent to the test.
Blood tests are both more accurate and should not be refused. However, blood test errors like sample contamination, blood fermentation, chain of custody mistakes, and improper storage can all lead to an inconsistent BAC reading.
Contacting a Scottsdale 24 Hour DUI Attorney
If you’ve been pulled over, arrested, and charged with a DUI, time is of the essence. At Lerner and Rowe Law Group, we understand that many run-ins with the law don’t occur between nine to five. That’s why our DUI defense team is available around the clock to help those who have been accused of a crime as quickly as possible.
To get in touch with a 24 hour DUI attorney near you, call us at 602-667-7777. Representatives are also standing by to answer your questions via LiveChat, or you can submit an online form to request your complimentary case review. The consultation is always free, and we offer affordable payment plans to match almost any budget.