DUI Defense For ASU Students

The Negative Impact a DUI Arrest Will Have On An ASU Students’ Life

Criminal Defense options for Arizona State Students when facing driving under the influence charges in Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and throughout Arizona. Don’t just take a plea, find out what options are available to you.

There is no denying that ASU, or Arizona State University, has a reputation for being a “party school.” If you’ve ever been on Mill Avenue, you’ve probably seen some ASU students drinking and partying. Unfortunately, despite the education that ASU provides, some students make the choice to get behind the wheel of a car after that drinking and partying. Whenever that happens, there’s a chance of that student being arrested for driving under the influence, or DUI. Arizona has some of the harshest laws surrounding DUIs in the country. If you’re an Arizona student arrested for DUI, you don’t want a conviction on your record, destroying the opportunities for which you’re working so hard. Our Arizona DUI lawyers have the experience to mitigate the negative impact a DUI arrest will have on  your life. Call or use our online form to set up your free consultation.

ASU Student DUI Rates

In part due to ASU’s location, Tempe and Scottsdale are hotspots for DUI arrests. People under the age of 21 make up about 17% of Arizona’s DUI arrests. It’s so serious to keep drunk drivers off the road because of the increased likelihood of serious accidents and injuries that intoxication can bring. Alcohol plays a role in about 4.6% of Arizona’s traffic accidents. However, alcohol is involved in about 17% of Arizona’s fatal car crashes. Males make up for about 73% of alcohol-related crashes, while females make up about 26% of alcohol-related crashes. Males are even slightly more likely to be involved in fatal alcohol-related crashes – slightly more than 80% while females make up about 19% of alcohol-related fatal car crashes.   

Possible Accompanying Charges

• • Possession of a Fake ID.

  • Identity theft.

  • Minor in possession of alcohol (MIP).

  • Solicitation of alcohol.

  • Refusal to provide identity during arrest.

  • Any relevant traffic violations.

Arizona DUI Charges

There are several categories of DUI in Arizona. While you can be arrested for driving under the influence of illegal and prescription drugs, alcohol arrests are measured in terms of BAC, or blood alcohol content. The standard legal limit for a DUI in Arizona is .08. However, if you are pulled over with a BAC of .04-.079 and the officer believes you are too impaired to drive, you can be charged with DUI. If your BAC is between .15 and .19, you will be charged with Extreme DUI. If your BAC is .20 or higher at the time of arrest, you will be charged with Super Extreme DUI. All of these types of DUI are misdemeanors.

When certain factors are present, you can be charged with Aggravated DUI, which is a felony. There are four factors that can cause you to be charged with Aggravated DUI. One is if this is your third DUI conviction in a 7-year period. The second factor is if you had an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle at the time you were arrested. The third is if you were arrested while driving on a license that was suspended, revoked, or canceled. The last factor that can increase your DUI charges to a felony level is if you have a passenger under 15 years old with you while you are arrested.

A relevant factor when it comes to college students and DUIs is that the legal limit for anyone under the age of 21 is 0. That means a driver under 21 can be arrested for ANY amount of liquor in their system, also known as a zero tolerance policy. Someone arrested under these types of circumstances will be charged with what is known in Arizona as a “baby DUI.” If their BAC is at least .08 at the time of arrest, the charge will be a standard DUI rather than a baby DUI.

Arrested For DUI As An ASU Student, What To Expect?

Arizona has harsh penalties for a DUI conviction that can impact your education, career, and the rest of your life. The penalties you will face will depend on the type of charge you received. If you are under 21 and your BAC is less than .08 at the time of arrest, you won’t face mandatory jail time like every other DUI conviction in Arizona. However, the judge does have the discretion to order up to 6 months in jail for a baby DUI conviction. The maximum fine is $750. One of the steepest punishments for those convicted of baby DUI is a mandatory 2-year driver’s license suspension. If you don’t live on campus, this penalty could be the most detrimental to you.

If you are over the age of 21, or you are under 21 arrested with a BAC of at least .08, you will be charged with a standard DUI. A standard Arizona DUI conviction comes with a mandatory 10-day jail sentence, 9 days being commutable. You will be fined at least $1,480, and your driver’s license will be suspended for at least 90 days. You will also need to use an ignition interlock device, or an IID, for at least 6 months. If you are convicted of Extreme DUI, the mandatory minimum is 30 days, all but 9 of which can be commuted. You will also be fined at least $3,000, have your license suspended for at least 90 days, and have to use an IID for at least one year.

What Do The Tempe Police Do To Deter Drinking & Driving From ASU Students?

Tempe and Scottsdale police have several strategies to deter drunk driving on and around ASU campus. You can see for yourself how many police officers patrol the roads near Mill Avenue and Old Town Scottsdale on weekend nights. Police can also set up DUI checkpoints in popular areas, which gives them the right to pull over every vehicle that passes through a certain area. But it doesn’t matter where you’re driving – you should always wait until you’re sober before getting behind the wheel of a car.

Affordable DUI Representation For ASU Students & More

No matter what type of DUI you’ve been charged with, it’s important as an ASU student to quickly begin working on your defense. A misdemeanor and especially a felony, a conviction can throw away all the hard work you’ve been doing in college. While a DUI won’t get you kicked out of ASU or disqualify you from being accepted, it will affect your job opportunities and other aspects of your life in your future.