July 2014 – DUI on July 4th

This past 3-day holiday weekend was a time for celebrating Independence Day which commonly includes fireworks, parades, barbecues, fairs, concerts, and outdoor activities. Often, these activities include the consumption of alcohol.

This year, throughout the state, agencies placed sobriety checkpoints and about 800 additional officers on DUI saturation patrols in an effort to prevent DUI incidents. By enforcing DUI and traffic laws, the goal was to reduce crashes and fatalities on Arizona streets and highways. According to Alberto Gutier, Director of the Highway-Safety Office, “(Law-enforcement agencies) saw that more officers and traffic stops on the highways prevent more tragedies.”

This 4th of July, there was a 27% increase from the number of DUI arrests over the holiday last year. Between this past Thursday and Saturday, Arizona’s highway patrol officers, sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers arrested 534 people on suspicion of driving under the influence. This is 113 more DUI arrests over the previous year.

If you were one of the 534 people in Arizona who were arrested for a DUI offense this past 4 th of July weekend, contact Owens & Perkins to schedule your free ½ hour consultation. Our experienced Arizona DUI lawyers can answer all of your questions, assist you in evaluating your options, and defend your rights.