It’s well known that DUI penalties are based on the number of DUIs a person accumulates within a certain period in the state where he or she lives. What is not well known is that many states, including Arizona, will also count DUIs obtained in other states in that total. People who visit Arizona and receive a DUI in the state should talk to Criminal Defense Attorneys in Chandler AZ about how it may affect them in the state where they reside.
How Interstate DUIs Are Handled
When a person who lives in another state is arrested for a DUI in Arizona, a couple of things will happen. If the state the person resides in participates in the Driver’s License Compact, a coalition of states who agree to exchange information about traffic violations with each other, the police will send a letter to the individual’s home state notifying the Secretary of State of the incident.
The person’s home state will then track the case and take action if appropriate. For instance, if the person blew a .08 on a breathalyzer test, then the individual’s home state may suspend the person’s license based on this information.
Second, when a person is convicted of a DUI in Arizona, his or her sentence may be based on which state has the harsher punishment for DUIs. For example, if the person resides in Vermont but was convicted in Arizona, he or she may be sentenced to a $1,500 fine and up to two years in jail because the penalties for a DUI conviction in Vermont are stricter than the penalties Arizona assesses.
Get Help Managing the Case Long-Distance
In addition to working with Criminal Defense Attorneys in Chandler AZ to develop a strategy to minimize the impact out-of-state convictions will have on their lives, defendants need to also figure out a way to manage various aspects of the case long-distance.
Depending on the circumstances of the DUI arrest, an Arizona court may let the defendant return to his or her home state. However, the person will need to return to Arizona for the required court dates. The attorney can minimize the number of times the person has to return to keep the associated costs low.
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