Recent Articles

Scottsdale DUI: Changes in the Scottsdale Courts

February 22, 2010 12:31

What is going on in Scottsdale?  In the last 30 days two judges have been let go by the City Counsel.  What is coming next? 

Best DUI Blog Posts: December 2009

Lawrence Koplow
December 16, 2009 22:35

I am starting a new list of the best DUI blog posts for the past month.  I am admittedly stealing the idea after reading Kevin O'Keefe's Best In Law Blogs.  However, as I am one of Kevin's clients, I don't think he will mind (as long as the check clears.)  Here are the posts that I...

When Lawyers Attack

Lawrence Koplow
December 15, 2009 04:53

Last night I am reading Gideon’s blog and I see a post with the title: “This Seattle DUI lawyer is a Douchebag.” As someone who loves a good fight, I started reading. Here is the beginning of the post: So normally I don’t write posts like this, because I don’t give...

Arizona Extreme DUI: The Out of State Visitor Dilemma

Lawrence Koplow
November 18, 2009 15:37

The harsh penalties for an Arizona extreme DUI conviction have been well chronicled in this blog.  However, what happens when we apply these penalties to people who were only visiting Arizona and charged with DUI? One could take the view: who cares?  When people come to "our...

How accurate is blood testing for alcohol?

Lawrence Koplow
October 28, 2009 21:05

The truth of the matter is we don’t really know. Most labs in the Phoenix Arizona area claim to be accurate within 5%. That means if your blood result came back at .08, then the true result can be anywhere from 5% lower or 5% higher. Other scientific organizations claim 5% is not a...

No Consent, No Warrant, No Blood

Lawrence Koplow
September 04, 2009 14:03

Somethings in life seem obvious. It is hotter in summer. It is colder in the winter. The government must get a warrant to stick a needle in your arm before they forcibly take your blood. However, the last presumption has not been so obvious in Arizona. For years in Arizona, attorneys have been...

5 things You Should Know About Arizona Super Extreme DUI Convictions

Lawrence Koplow
July 30, 2009 17:54

Arizona is one of a few states that has created something referred to as "Super Extreme DUI."  A DUI is "Super Extreme" if a person's blood alcohol concentration is .200 or above.  While this crime is still a misdemeanor, it carries a minimum jail term that is greater...

What Do Field Sobriety Tests Prove?

Lawrence Koplow
June 29, 2009 19:53

The short answer is not much. At best, they may correlate to someone having a blood alcohol concentration over a .08. At worst, they prove nothing at all. To understand their meaning you must look at how they came into existence and who developed them. In the late 1970’s NHTSA (the...

A Person Accused Of DUI Deserves A True Second Opinion

Lawrence Koplow
June 16, 2009 01:08

Arizona DUI cases almost always involve a chemical test. There is a movement in Arizona towards the exclusive use of blood testing. It is well settled that blood testing is more accurate than breath testing. But how accurate is blood testing? Can it truly determine a person blood alcohol...

A Well Written Post on The Source Code Issue

Lawrence Koplow
January 27, 2009 03:44

I ran across an excellent post discussing the source code issue.  That is, the fight between criminal defense attorneys and the maker of the breath tester (CMI) to disclose the code used in their breath testers.  CMI will not allow an inspection of the code.  Consequently, it cannot...