Catalina Foothills DUI Defense Attorney

Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer Protecting the Rights of Clients Facing DUI Charges in Catalina Foothills

A driving under the influence (DUI) arrest can happen to anyone – no matter your age, gender, occupation, or other background factors. In fact, being charged with DUI happens to approximately 30,000 drivers each year in Arizona. At The Behan Law Group, P.L.L.C., we understand how stressful this time can be for you. A DUI license suspension not only impacts your ability to do things for your family and get to work, but you are also facing jail time if convicted, even for a first offense. That possibility can be frightening.

Our Catalina Foothills, AZ DUI defense lawyers have extensive experience successfully defending clients arrested for all levels of DUI, including second and subsequent offenses, extreme DUI, aggravated DUI, CDL DUI, and underage DUI.

We understand that a conviction can impact your life, even after your case and sentence have been resolved. Having a DUI conviction can affect your future chances of employment and even cause issues with child custody. If you are a professional license holder, a DUI conviction can also result in the board that administers your license taking actions to restrict, suspend, or even revoke that license. When you hire our law firm to represent you, you can count on an aggressive defense team fighting for your rights, your freedom, and your future.

Fighting a DUI Charge

Given the potential for jail time, loss of license, and other penalties, it is crucial to have a Catalina Foothills defense lawyer representing you no matter what level of DUI charge you are facing. There are a number of potential issues that could weaken the prosecutor's case against you.

Was There Probable Cause?

Police are not allowed to just randomly pull a driver over. For an officer to order a driver to stop, they must have probable cause, which means the officer must have had a legitimate reason to stop you. Was there a traffic violation? Was there a safety violation with your vehicle, such as a burned-out headlight? Were you driving erratically? If your lawyer can show that the officer did not have probable cause to arrest you, your case may be dismissed.

How Valid Are Field Sobriety Test Results?

There are three standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) typically used by police officers to determine if a driver is sober or not:

• The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test tracks the movement of the driver's eyes to see if they jerk or move involuntarily. This jerking can be a sign the driver is under the influence.
• The Walk-and-Turn (WAT) test involves the driver walking in a straight line, one foot in front of the other, turning around, and walking back. This test is supposed to measure how well the driver can follow instructions and keep their balance.
• The One-Leg Stand (OLS) test is also meant to measure the driver's ability to follow instructions and keep their balance. For this test, the driver stands on one foot but cannot use his or her arms or any swaying motion to maintain that position.

The lawyers at The Behan Law Group, P.L.L.C. know that there are significant issues with using these tests to prove a DUI case. First, multiple studies have shown these tests to only be about 70 percent accurate. There are also the issues of the driver's age and weight and whether they have any medical conditions that can impact their ability to perform these tests.

How Accurate Are BAC Test Results?

Even if you took a breath or blood test, and the results showed that your blood alcohol content (BAC) was over the legal limit, a Catalina Foothills DUI defense lawyer can raise a number of issues regarding those results. The first issue is the officer who administered the test — was he or she properly trained and experienced in BAC testing? There may also be an issue with the device used for the testing, including calibration and maintenance.

Contact Our Catalina Foothills, AZ DUI Defense Lawyers

If you have been charged with DUI, do not try to defend against these charges on your own. Contact The Behan Law Group, P.L.L.C. at 520-220-5047 to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our dedicated Catalina Foothills DUI defense lawyers. We will thoroughly evaluate your case and discuss your legal options for defending against these charges.