Domestic Violence is a serious matter. Having said that conduct which is not necessarily violent can be classified as “Domestic Violence”. When police respond to a 911 Call regarding Domestic Violence they can charge a person for one or more domestic violence crimes. A very common charge is Disorderly Conduct alleging “Seriously Disruptive Behavior” under…
Quick answer: In Arizona you may be able to prove the affirmative defense to a Prescription Drug DUI using pharmacy prescription records alone — admitted under the business records exception to the hearsay rule — without ever putting a doctor, pharmacist, or other witness on the stand. What Is a Prescription Drug DUI in Arizona?…
A DUI in Arizona is what a jury says it is. All DUI defendants have either a constitutional (Felony) or statutory (Misdemeanor) right to a jury trial. By looking at appeals from convictions we can see the facts that lead to that jury unanimously deciding, beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendant was guilty. We can…
There has been a recent change for defendants sentenced to jail in the Mesa Municipal court. Defendants may now serve their jail sentences again in the Mesa City Jail or the Maricopa County ITR Jail (Intake, Transfer, Release Facility). Defendants who are serving a straight day jail sentence (without work release) may serve the…
DUI case studies provide practical insight into how particular DUI cases are resolved. These case studies are for misdemeanor DUI cases only. Felonies are far different and are not discussed in the case studies. Real Life Situations These DUI case studies are important because they are real-life situations. The studies not just hypothetical possibilities.…
Arizona Wrong Way DUI Law In 2018 the Legislature added a new felony DUI offense, 28 A.R.S.§ 1383.A.5, Driving the Wrong Way on a Highway While Impaired. The mandatory minimum sentence includes 4 months in State Prison. If an impaired driver is driving the right way the minimum penalty could be 1 day. If the…
Defendant’s 2 Agg DUI convictions upheld but sentence reduced State v. Seantain Leroy Cook Seantain Leroy Cook appealed his 2 aggravated DUI convictions. The basis for the cases was driving with a suspended license in two separate DUI incidents in 2021. The DUIs were first charged as misdemeanors in a municipal court. Mr. Cook’s suspended…
Legal residents are now generally not deportable for one Arizona misdemeanor DUI conviction. Legal residents can be deported for one DUI if it involves Controlled Substances, and these substances include Marijuana and Prescription Medications, even if legally prescribed. Arizona Felony DUIs Arizona Felony DUIs may lead to deportation, particularly if the felony is for DUI…
Out of state drivers are subject to harsher DUI license penalties than Arizona drivers. Privilege & Immunities Clauses Driver-licensed residents of all states have a “Privilege” to drive in all other states. The “Privileges & Immunities” Clause (P & I) to the U.S. Constitution creates the “Privilege”. and in Arizona under the P & I…
Quick answer: Yes. On November 28, 2025, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in State v. Alvarez-Soto that driving in the middle lane of a freeway, even at a lawful speed, can justify a stop if another vehicle passes you on the right. That holding now applies to every freeway in the state — I-10, I-17,…
Gordon Thompson
DUI & Criminal Attorney
(602) 467-3680
