The ramifications of drinking and driving have been well known for quite some time. Here in Arizona, there’s a famous, “You drink, you drive, you lose” mentality that is advertised on television and in other forms of media. This has become something of a household saying by now, but few people realize they could expect the same harsh treatments they’d get from driving a car intoxicated if they were operating a boat, jet-ski, or other watercraft in the same condition. This applies to lakes, rivers, and all waterways here in Arizona. These are known as OUIs, standing for operating under the influence.
County sherrif’s departments have divisions dedicated to patrolling the water ways, but what Arizona residents should also know is that the Arizona Game and Fish Departments also has designation as a peace officers in the state of Arizona and they also possess the power to give citations, make arrests, and investigate criminal actions. If suspected of operating under the influence, these peace officers may give you field sobriety tests, including blood or breath tests. In addition, they may even have you complete balance tests while standing on a boat. One could quickly imagine that the results of these tests may not be as accurate as they would at a conventional, roadside location.
Arizona OUI defense attorneys will have the skill to immediately identify these flaws and bring them up in a criminal courtroom in order to fight for your innocence. What we stand for is the true operation of justice – this certainly does not include the wrongfully convicted. Our team can help debunk these tests and fight back against the improper collection of evidence in a criminal investigation.
