subject: When A Dui Misdemeanor Case Turns Felony - Class Four [print this page] You previously had a case of misdemeanor - DUI! And after the first offense, you again committed the same - the second time around. If you are living in Arizona, you have to hold your breath for the strict and harsh penalties. Compared to the other states, the statutes of Arizona on Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol impose strict compliance.
In Arizona, any violator of the DUI needs to consult a lawyer, immediately. The laws here on this offense impose very steep penalty. Where the said laws are a little bit forgiving on first offense, subsequent infractions will earn you the ire of the judge. In this state, although driving under the influence of alcohol is a mere misdemeanor violation, commission of another DUI after the third, within a span of less than or seven years will already comprise a case of felony, regardless of the percentage of alcohol that may come out of the test.
Fines can be imposed and your driver's license is confiscated and revoked for three years - long enough if you drive to work or to the city. Additionally, you can be placed on extended probation and seizure of the car you are driving.
And should you have committed other crimes during the period, your penalties can even be harsher than the already exorbitant sentence. One of these can be a longer period in jail.
As this DUI misdemeanor turned felony case has become a major infraction, if you were in this predicament, it is imperative for you to hire a lawyer experienced in such situation. There are a number of things the lawyer can do for you - something you can never be able to do for yourself. Your lawyer can have inadmissible evidences discarded. He can make a background check on the arresting officer in order to discredit him. As the attorney is very well-versed with the law, he will try to search if there is any violation on your constitutional rights. Last but not least, he may find errors in the blood alcohol testing procedures.
With a lawyer, there is someone to hear your story and find ways to refute the allegations of the arresting officer, He can possibly bring your felony case to a lower level or at least - be handed down with more lenient penalties, such as shorter time of incarceration and lesser amount of fine.
Although, you can possibly get a lower sentence on your fourth DUI (it says after the third), make it a resolution to refrain from driving when you have taken alcoholic beverages. Driving after ingesting sufficient amount of liquor is really harmful - very prone to accident. If you continue, you might even cause wrongful death or physical injury.
