Arizona DUI Attorney, Maricopa County - Get DUI Help HERE

A DUI in Maricopa County, Arizona is a serious criminal offense that is not only an inconvenience, but also permanently damaging. Throughout the Maricopa county cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa, drivers charged with DUI face penalties that are surprising and expensive.

There are multiple possible charges for driving under the influence, most of which are considered misdemeanor offenses. In addition to the criminal charges they carry, DUI charges will also suspend your driver's license almost immediately. Depending on the actual charge, DUI convictions will suspend a driver's license for 90 days to three years.

Criminal charges for an Arizona DUI are both misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanor DUI charges are both Class 1 and Class 2, and have additional penalties on top of standard misdemeanors. Felony DUI charges are Class 3, Class 4 and Class 6. There is also a special charge for homicide that occurs from the actions of a DUI driver.

There are many misdemeanor DUI charges that you can be convicted of in Maricopa County. The lesser of all of the DUI charges is called impaired to the slightest degree. This class 1 misdemeanor has a mandatory 24 hours in jail with up to 6 months, fines, ignition interlock device and alcohol counseling. Impaired to the slightest degree convictions may have low blood alcohol levels, that are generally not prosecuted in other states.

Arizona DUI charges of being over the legal limit, under the influence of drugs or while in a commercial vehicle, also are class one misdemeanors with similar penalties. One major difference however, is a drug charge requires drug counseling rather than alcohol counseling. Also, a DUI in a commercial vehicle conviction will most likely permanently prevent future commercial driving.

Other Arizona DUI misdemeanor charges include: extreme DUI, and super extreme DUI. These class 1 misdemeanors differ from the others because of the minimal amount of jail time required. It can vary from 30 days to 180 days in jail. The fines are also increased for these convictions. A DUI is considered extreme or super extreme based on the BAC levels at the time of arrest.

Underage DUI is the only class 2 misdemeanor. It is reserved for drivers under the age of 21 convicted of driving with any amount of alcohol present in their blood. Unlike the Class 1 misdemeanors, it has no jail minimums, but can result in up to 4 months in jail. There are also no fines, but drivers convicted of this charge lose their driving privileges for two years.

Felony DUI charges can occur for DUI with a child in the car, DUI while having a suspended license, DUI after having two priors, or DUIs that result in assault or homicide. DUI with a child in the car is a class 6 felony that can carry up to 5 years 9 months incarceration. DUI with a suspended license and DUI after two priors are class 4 felonies that can result in up to 15 years incarceration.

DUIs that result in assault or homicide are grouped in a separate charge of vehicular aggravated assault, or vehicular homicide. They do not always result from DUI, but they are both the result of collisions. Vehicular aggravated assault is a class 3 felony with 5 years to 25 years of incarceration. Drivers convicted of this charge will lose driving privileges for 3 years. Vehicular homicide incarcerations range from 7 years to 35 years and also include 3 years of driver's license revocation.

If you are charged with a Maricopa County misdemeanor DUI, you will go to a justice courts in Gila Bend, Surprise, Phoenix, Gilbert, Toileson, Mesa, Chandler, or Buckeye. Felony charges are heard in Maricopa county superior courts located in Mesa, Phoenix and Surprise.

For DUI charges in Maricopa county, contact our office for expert criminal law representation.