If the Governor's Office of Highway Safety hasn't made itself abundantly clear that it won't be tolerating drunk drivers this holiday season, the shear number of drunk drivers it has nailed as part of the Holiday DUI Task Force should probably clear up any misunderstandings.
Since the task force began the day before Thanksgiving, law enforcement agencies from across the state have nabbed more than 2,000 drunk drivers, including extending the long arm of the law to 446 "extreme" drunk drivers.
Last week's big winner was the Phoenix Police Department, which is at the top of the list for single-city police departments, with an impressive 131 DUI busts, followed by the Tucson PD's 114.
This week -- with each booze-filled breath -- the Phoenix PD's lead over Tucson is grew even larger.
With nearly 100 busts this week alone, the Phoenix PD's total is now 225, as Tucson could only muster a measly 60 -- putting its total at 174.
The task force includes several multi-agency efforts like the East Valley DUI Task Force, a combination of several police departments. The multi-agency task forces, as well as the Department of Public Safety, make the large majority of the state's total DUI busts.
The DPS has 349 busts, while the East Valley DUI Task Force, which includes the Tempe Police Department, has a whopping 656 busts since the DUI roundup began about three weeks ago.
There is, however, one law enforcement agency that isn't exactly pulling its weight -- the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
So far, the MCSO have managed a meager 112 DUI arrests since the task force began, putting Joe and his goon squad in seventh place statewide, just behind Scottsdale.
Let's cut Joe and the boys a little slack, they've been busy doing all the, um, important stuff like intimidating judges and making house calls on county employees.
Source
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Manteca Police Conduct DUI Sweep
MANTECA, Calif. --
Teams of officers searched Manteca Wednesday, with warrants in hand for suspected drunken driving offenders.
Police said some of the people had multiple arrests in the past.
"For the most part, the drunk drivers that we run into that get arrested, this is their first offense," Rex Osborn from the Manteca Police Department said. "The ones we are arresting today, the majority of them have other criminal behavior. They know the system, they know the likelihood of being caught is one of these sweeps or a traffic violation, so they work the system."
Officers had a list with 241 names on it -- all of them from the Manteca area. They are people who didn't show up for court or who didn't show up for jail after being convicted.
Police find that most have moved away, but there are some who are handcuffed and taken off to jail -- no longer able to put off serving time.
"We have guys that get sentenced and they have to wait six months to go to jail because there is no room, so they wait and they just don't show up," Osborn said. "And the others, they just don't show up to court on the date we give them and either move out of the area -- which is most of them -- and they think it goes away, but it doesn't."
Source
Teams of officers searched Manteca Wednesday, with warrants in hand for suspected drunken driving offenders.
Police said some of the people had multiple arrests in the past.
"For the most part, the drunk drivers that we run into that get arrested, this is their first offense," Rex Osborn from the Manteca Police Department said. "The ones we are arresting today, the majority of them have other criminal behavior. They know the system, they know the likelihood of being caught is one of these sweeps or a traffic violation, so they work the system."
Officers had a list with 241 names on it -- all of them from the Manteca area. They are people who didn't show up for court or who didn't show up for jail after being convicted.
Police find that most have moved away, but there are some who are handcuffed and taken off to jail -- no longer able to put off serving time.
"We have guys that get sentenced and they have to wait six months to go to jail because there is no room, so they wait and they just don't show up," Osborn said. "And the others, they just don't show up to court on the date we give them and either move out of the area -- which is most of them -- and they think it goes away, but it doesn't."
Source
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Woman who caused 4 wrecks on I-10 faces DUI charges
PHOENIX -- A woman is facing DUI charges after allegedly causing four separate collisions on two Phoenix freeways Monday.
Those collisions caused a huge series of afternoon delays on State Route 51 and Interstate 10, where the crashes occurred, and also caused backups on Loop 202.
DPS spokesperson Robert Lee Bailey said 29-year-old Kristen Rowley was initially traveling on the southbound SR 51 approaching I-10, when she struck the first vehicle.
Rowley then got onto the eastbound side of I-10 at Washington, where she struck a second vehicle and exited the freeway.
According to Bailey, she then got back on the westbound I-10, where she struck two additional vehicles.
Rowley finally came to a stop after hitting a Nissan pickup, the fourth vehicle, which caused a chain reaction collision between the truck and two other vehicles at 19th Avenue and I-10.
Bailey said six victims' vehicles had to be towed, and two of the drivers were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.
DPS officials said Rowley was transported to Saint Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries and will be booked on hit and run and DUI charges.
Video from Air15 showed westbound traffic on the I-10 at a near standstill because of the wrecks.
Source
Those collisions caused a huge series of afternoon delays on State Route 51 and Interstate 10, where the crashes occurred, and also caused backups on Loop 202.
DPS spokesperson Robert Lee Bailey said 29-year-old Kristen Rowley was initially traveling on the southbound SR 51 approaching I-10, when she struck the first vehicle.
Rowley then got onto the eastbound side of I-10 at Washington, where she struck a second vehicle and exited the freeway.
According to Bailey, she then got back on the westbound I-10, where she struck two additional vehicles.
Rowley finally came to a stop after hitting a Nissan pickup, the fourth vehicle, which caused a chain reaction collision between the truck and two other vehicles at 19th Avenue and I-10.
Bailey said six victims' vehicles had to be towed, and two of the drivers were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.
DPS officials said Rowley was transported to Saint Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries and will be booked on hit and run and DUI charges.
Video from Air15 showed westbound traffic on the I-10 at a near standstill because of the wrecks.
Source
Friday, January 15, 2010
Diana Taurasi serves one day on DUI plea
PHOENIX -- WNBA star Diana Taurasi has completed her jail time in connection to a DUI ticket.
The Phoenix Mercury guard spent one day behind bars after the judge dropped nine days of the possible 10-day sentence as part of a plea deal.
Taurasi was pulled over in Central Phoenix back in July, She was allegedly speeding -- nearly 20 mph over the posted speed limit -- and weaving.
Officers conducted a sobriety check on the scene. Her blood-alcohol content was later determined to be .17, more than twice the legal limit.
In addition to the extra days, the judge also also dropped charges of extreme DUI and speeding.
Source
The Phoenix Mercury guard spent one day behind bars after the judge dropped nine days of the possible 10-day sentence as part of a plea deal.
Taurasi was pulled over in Central Phoenix back in July, She was allegedly speeding -- nearly 20 mph over the posted speed limit -- and weaving.
Officers conducted a sobriety check on the scene. Her blood-alcohol content was later determined to be .17, more than twice the legal limit.
In addition to the extra days, the judge also also dropped charges of extreme DUI and speeding.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Taurasi pleads guilty to DUI, serves day in jail
PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge stemming from her July arrest.
Taurasi, an all-star guard on the WNBA champions, spent a day in jail after a judge suspended nine days of her sentence.
Taurasi's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent when she was pulled over on July 2 following a 93-81 victory over the Seattle Storm. That's more than twice Arizona's legal limit of 0.08 percent.
A police officer who stopped Taurasi's vehicle after seeing it drift outside a traffic lane near downtown Phoenix claims she was driving nearly 20 mph over the 35 mph limit.
While Taurasi pleaded guilty to DUI on Oct. 12, charges of extreme DUI and speeding were dropped.
Source
Taurasi, an all-star guard on the WNBA champions, spent a day in jail after a judge suspended nine days of her sentence.
Taurasi's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent when she was pulled over on July 2 following a 93-81 victory over the Seattle Storm. That's more than twice Arizona's legal limit of 0.08 percent.
A police officer who stopped Taurasi's vehicle after seeing it drift outside a traffic lane near downtown Phoenix claims she was driving nearly 20 mph over the 35 mph limit.
While Taurasi pleaded guilty to DUI on Oct. 12, charges of extreme DUI and speeding were dropped.
Source
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Woman gets 6 years for DUI killing of Tucsonan
A 22-year-old Michigan woman was sentenced to six years in prison plus 10 years' probation Friday for killing a Tucson man in an alcohol-related head-on collision last year.
Once Elizabeth Tuccini is released from prison, her driver's license will be revoked for three years and she'll have to have an ignition interlock device placed on her car for one year once she is able to drive.
Tuccini moved to Tucson from Allen Park, Mich. in November 2008 to help her uncle with the Arizona branch of her family's produce company after he was involved in a crash, according to court documents.
On Dec. 20, 2008, Tuccini spent the day Christmas shopping in the Phoenix area, bought a pint of Jaegermeister, mixed it with an energy drink and drank it as she drove home.
Tuccini was speeding on the Interstate 10 frontage road when she crossed the center line and struck Marco Salazar head-on two miles north of the Marana Road exit.
Tuccini's 2005 Dodge Dakota pickup truck flipped over. She suffered a broken wrist and lacerations on both legs.
Salazar, who was 10 days shy of his 55th birthday, was thrown from his 1987 Toyota pickup truck and killed.
Preliminary tests showed Tuccini's blood alcohol level was 0.187; the legal limit in Arizona is 0.08. Her Michigan driver's license had also been suspended for failing to pay a fine.
A Pima County jury was asked to convict Tuccini of manslaughter during her September trial, but they convicted her of the less serious charge of negligent homicide. She was also convicted of two counts of aggravated driving under the influence and criminal damage.
On Friday, Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Nichols watched a video photo montage of Salazar's life and listened as Salazar's brothers, daughter and cousin spoke about their loss.
They described Salazar as a family man who loved motorcycles, especially his 1972 Harley Davidson. He is survived by his mother, three children, six grandchildren and three siblings.
Monica Salazar told Nichols she visits her father's grave twice a day and her brother sometimes sleeps there.
"We wish this was a horrible nightmare that we could wake up from," she said.
Defense attorney Michael Bloom described his client as a hardworking, nice young woman who made a horrible mistake she deeply regrets.
In fact, Tuccini told him she thought the jury should have convicted her on the manslaughter charge, Bloom said.
Since the crash, Tuccini has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and participating in counseling, Bloom said.
Tuccini has also been volunteering at a long-term care facility for senior citizens, working with Alzheimer's patients, Bloom said.
While it's easy to say you are remorseful, her actions prove it, Bloom said.
Tuccini turned to the Salazar family, which packed most of the courtroom, and said, "I know there's nothing I can say to take away your pain, but I truly am sorry."
Tuccini's sentence mirrored Deputy Pima County Attorney Victoria Otto's recommendation. She said the Salazar family wanted Tuccini placed on probation after her prison term to ensure no one else has to endure what they are enduring.
Before the proceedings started, Tuccini was formally served with a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against her and her parents by the Salazar family
Source
Once Elizabeth Tuccini is released from prison, her driver's license will be revoked for three years and she'll have to have an ignition interlock device placed on her car for one year once she is able to drive.
Tuccini moved to Tucson from Allen Park, Mich. in November 2008 to help her uncle with the Arizona branch of her family's produce company after he was involved in a crash, according to court documents.
On Dec. 20, 2008, Tuccini spent the day Christmas shopping in the Phoenix area, bought a pint of Jaegermeister, mixed it with an energy drink and drank it as she drove home.
Tuccini was speeding on the Interstate 10 frontage road when she crossed the center line and struck Marco Salazar head-on two miles north of the Marana Road exit.
Tuccini's 2005 Dodge Dakota pickup truck flipped over. She suffered a broken wrist and lacerations on both legs.
Salazar, who was 10 days shy of his 55th birthday, was thrown from his 1987 Toyota pickup truck and killed.
Preliminary tests showed Tuccini's blood alcohol level was 0.187; the legal limit in Arizona is 0.08. Her Michigan driver's license had also been suspended for failing to pay a fine.
A Pima County jury was asked to convict Tuccini of manslaughter during her September trial, but they convicted her of the less serious charge of negligent homicide. She was also convicted of two counts of aggravated driving under the influence and criminal damage.
On Friday, Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Nichols watched a video photo montage of Salazar's life and listened as Salazar's brothers, daughter and cousin spoke about their loss.
They described Salazar as a family man who loved motorcycles, especially his 1972 Harley Davidson. He is survived by his mother, three children, six grandchildren and three siblings.
Monica Salazar told Nichols she visits her father's grave twice a day and her brother sometimes sleeps there.
"We wish this was a horrible nightmare that we could wake up from," she said.
Defense attorney Michael Bloom described his client as a hardworking, nice young woman who made a horrible mistake she deeply regrets.
In fact, Tuccini told him she thought the jury should have convicted her on the manslaughter charge, Bloom said.
Since the crash, Tuccini has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and participating in counseling, Bloom said.
Tuccini has also been volunteering at a long-term care facility for senior citizens, working with Alzheimer's patients, Bloom said.
While it's easy to say you are remorseful, her actions prove it, Bloom said.
Tuccini turned to the Salazar family, which packed most of the courtroom, and said, "I know there's nothing I can say to take away your pain, but I truly am sorry."
Tuccini's sentence mirrored Deputy Pima County Attorney Victoria Otto's recommendation. She said the Salazar family wanted Tuccini placed on probation after her prison term to ensure no one else has to endure what they are enduring.
Before the proceedings started, Tuccini was formally served with a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against her and her parents by the Salazar family
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Dui Attorney Phoenix
Trying to Find a DUI Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona? A drunk driving charge is a very serious offense if you don’t seek an experienced drunk driving attorney to protect your rights you may face jail time, loss of your job, drivers license suspension or increased auto insurance. Don’t make the mistake of pleading guilty and having a DUI on your record for the rest of your life without exploring your options like having your case reduced to a lesser charge or completely dismissed. Many lawyers offer free no obligation case evaluations.
There are many DUI Attorneys in Phoenix that are both highly skilled and experienced in the area of drunk driving law; there are also many that will use DUI cases as easy money, seeking to make unfavorable plea deals rather than help you to fight your case. When you are interviewing potential DUI attorneys you should ask the following questions:
1. Do you regularly take DUI cases to trial
A DUI attorney should almost always take DUI cases to trial. It is very easy for police officers who are not entirely familiar with the proper execution of a DUI stop to make mistakes; often times, this can be to your advantage.
2. What is your trial success rate
A DUI attorney’s trial success rate should be above 70%, showing that they are both experienced and able to select the right cases to go to trial.
3. How often do you practice in the court room that I am assigned to
When selecting a Phoenix DUI attorney you should find one that is familiar with the courthouse you are assigned to. Judges and district attorneys are people too and as such they build relationships with lawyers that they regularly work with. If you have to go to Phoenix Municipal Court, find a lawyer who regularly practices DUI law at Phoenix Municipal Court!
Source
There are many DUI Attorneys in Phoenix that are both highly skilled and experienced in the area of drunk driving law; there are also many that will use DUI cases as easy money, seeking to make unfavorable plea deals rather than help you to fight your case. When you are interviewing potential DUI attorneys you should ask the following questions:
1. Do you regularly take DUI cases to trial
A DUI attorney should almost always take DUI cases to trial. It is very easy for police officers who are not entirely familiar with the proper execution of a DUI stop to make mistakes; often times, this can be to your advantage.
2. What is your trial success rate
A DUI attorney’s trial success rate should be above 70%, showing that they are both experienced and able to select the right cases to go to trial.
3. How often do you practice in the court room that I am assigned to
When selecting a Phoenix DUI attorney you should find one that is familiar with the courthouse you are assigned to. Judges and district attorneys are people too and as such they build relationships with lawyers that they regularly work with. If you have to go to Phoenix Municipal Court, find a lawyer who regularly practices DUI law at Phoenix Municipal Court!
Source
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