scottsdale dui

Would knowing your blood alcohol content help you make the right decision to call a cab or hail an Uber at the end of the night?

Breathometer, a portable breathalyzer that works on smartphones, has partnered with Uber to further prevent drunk driving by offering users safe, convenient alternatives to getting behind the wheel when intoxicated.

Simply blow into one of the Breathometer devices, which can be wireless or attached to the headphone jack, and the app shows the person’s current blood alcohol content.

If BAC levels are at .04 percent or higher, Breathometer provides a list of nearby restaurants, hotels and transportation options that can be contacted directly form the app.

Now partnered with Uber, an app that connects people to drivers in the area, Breathometer offers the company’s services first on the list of transportation options, and the Uber app automatically opens when selected on Breathometer.

Since the partnership began earlier this year, Uber has been selected 54 percent more frequently than the other options Breathometer offers, with approximately 1,700 Uber rides so far.

After recording BAC levels, Breathometer has the option to store this information so that over time, the app gets to know how much alcohol it takes for an individual to become intoxicated, how long it takes to sober up and more.

In the future, Breathometer founder and CEO Charles Yim has plans to expand the app even more, so that it offers users additional services, such as helpful resources for battling alcohol abuse.

The partnership between the Uber and Breathometer, and each of their respective partnerships with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Fathers Against Drunk Driving, demonstrates a serious effort to prevent alcohol-related accidents.

Labor Day usually means backyard barbecues and pool parties. This year, it could mean a costly Arizona DUI charge, thanks to an increased police presence and DUI checkpoints throughout Phoenix.

Arizona law enforcement is planning to crack down on drunk drivers this Labor Day weekend. Last year, more than 2,000 officers made a total of more than 600 arrests at Arizona DUI checkpoints on Labor Day weekend.

Corso Law Group’s founding attorney Christopher P. Corso knows the dangers of DUIs. Both attorneys previously prosecuted DUIs, DWIs and OUIs for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Combined, they have handled more than 15,000 DUI cases as prosecutors and defense attorneys.

“When you’re celebrating a holiday, you tend to relax your standards and don’t think twice about driving home or to the next party after having a couple of drinks,” Corso said. “That can prove to be a dangerous and costly miscalculation.”

The Arizona DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group have extensive experience handling cases that involve driving under the influence. Defense attorney Jeffrey Kegler brings an extensive knowledge of scientific research and evaluation to his cases.

Kegler applies this scientific knowledge and expertise to all traffic related and criminal cases to evaluate the breakdown and analysis of blood alcohol testing, speed measurement instruments and drug measurements.

That DUI experience proves to be invaluable after long weekend holidays like Labor Day, Corso said, when Arizona DUI arrests increase

In 2013, law enforcement made 656 DUI arrests from Thursday, August 29 to the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 3.

A police force of more than 2,000 officers and sheriff’s deputies from The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety led the 2013 Labor Day DUI campaign around the state, inundating roads with officers and DUI checkpoints.

Of the more than 600 arrests, 196 citations were for extreme DUI, meaning the blood-alcohol content was .15 or higher, and 126 citations were from drug DUIs. The legal limit is .08.

Arizona law enforcement doesn’t take driving under the influence lightly, and is prepared to ensure safety on the roads.

“A DUI in Arizona is a serious offense,” an attorney said. “The charges can severely impact your life in terms of your job and relationships, especially in Arizona where the law requires that any person found guilty of drinking and driving, even if it’s a first offense, serve jail time.

DUI convictions can also include extensive fines of up to $2,500, suspension of driving privileges and the installation of an ignition interlock device – even for first offenders.

The Arizona DUI defense attorneys at Corso Law Group do everything in their power to protect defendants’ families and advocate for their rights. They have the experience and expertise to deal with DUI charges in Arizona and will fight to get the charges dismissed and preserve their family.

Every DUI defense case in Arizona is different, however, and the outcome is dependent upon the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the DUI charges, which makes having an experienced Arizona DUI defense attorney even more important.

Corso Law Group has quickly built a reputation for its vigorous defense of clients, using its lawyers’ previous experience with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and other prosecutorial agencies to assist its clients with their criminal defense cases.

In addition to Arizona DUI issues, Corso Law Group handles a myriad of criminal cases, including civil speeding, criminal speeding in Arizona, domestic violence defense, possession of drugs, felony drug charges, photo radar, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.

To schedule a free consultation, please visit www.corsolawgroup.com or call (480) 471-4616. Corso Law Group, PLLC is located at 17470 N. Pacesetter Way Scottsdale, AZ 85255.

Drinking and driving never mix but the Arizona DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group know Arizona DUIs are even more dangerous over the July 4^th weekend.

The Arizona DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group know the long Fourth of July weekend can be a dangerous proposition for many Arizonans.

“It’s really about letting your guard down,” said Arizona DUI lawyer Christopher P. Corso of Corso Law Group. “Long holiday weekends always pose trouble for Arizona DUIs because many people host backyard parties or barbecues, forget that they’ve been drinking all day long and then get in a car to run to the store or drive a loved one home. It’s a summer recipe for disaster.”

The hazards of drinking and driving in Arizona are very familiar to Corso. He previously prosecuted DUIs, DWIs and OUIs for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“In the time, we’ve seen a lot of different scenarios for being arrested for an Arizona DUI but one thing remains the same – drinking and driving don’t mix, especially in Arizona, which has some of the nation’s toughest DUI laws,” Corso said. “That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced DUI lawyer on your side.”

For people suspected of a DUI in Arizona, Corso cautions that they must understand their rights including the right to remain silent; only providing insurance, registration and identification; and refusing to submit to all field sobriety tests.

According to Corso, a blood and alcohol test is the only test a person suspected of drunk driving should take.

Arizona takes DUI laws very seriously, Corso said, even for first time offenders. Any person found guilty of drinking and driving is required to serve a minimum of 24 hours in jail, even if there were no damages or injuries involved. Heavy fines are also included with DUI convictions and can be as high as $2,500 plus additional charges. Other penalties assessed include suspension of driving privileges, probation and the installation of an ignition interlock device.

Every DUI defense case in Arizona is different, and the outcome is dependent upon the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the DUI charges, which makes having an experienced Arizona DUI defense attorney even more important. In addition to DUIs and DWIs, the Arizona criminal defense attorneys at Corso Law Group handle myriad criminal cases, including domestic violence defense, possession of drugs, felony drug charges, photo radar, criminal speeding, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.

Corso Law Group’s Arizona DUI attorneys do everything in their power to protect defendants’ families and advocate for their rights. They have the experience and expertise to deal with DUI charges in Arizona and will fight to get the charges dismissed while counseling the accused’s family.

To schedule a free consultation, please visit www.corsolawgroup.com or call (480) 471-4616. Corso Law Group, PLLC is located at 17470 N. Pacesetter Way Scottsdale, AZ 85255.

Prosecutors in Maricopa County are fighting a Superior Court judge’s ruling to eliminate blood evidence in 11 DUI cases which could affect previous DUI convictions in Scottsdale.

Defense attorneys in the 11 aggravated-DUI and extreme-DUI cases argued that defective equipment and lab administrators of the Scottsdale Police Crime Lab did not meet scientific standards to merit or account for the accuracy of the four-year-old blood-testing machine. They also questioned the capability of the lab employees, doubting their ability to detect errors should they occur.

In August, Judge Jerry Bernstein barred prosecutors from introducing the machine’s blood-testing results in the 11 cases, and in response, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed a special action challenging this ruling.

The appeal stated that Bernstein misunderstood the state’s grounds for evidentiary dismissal and that a handful of errors revealed in the court could not condemn a machine that has conducted thousands of tests during a two-year period.

The machine performed more than 20,000 tests during a two-year period, and although the lab has suspended its use, prosecutors argue that there is allowance for a slight margin of error.

Of the 31 problem tests recorded in the appeal, the County Attorney’s office must determine whether these are the only bad results that Scottsdale is aware of, and if the lab has conducted an audit and can confirm that of the thousands of tests conducted, these 31 are the only erred ones.

This evidentiary debate has caused concern because if the ruling stands, any DUI convictions in the past few years in Scottsdale could be called into question.

Currently, the Scottsdale City Prosecutor’s Office is not considering the superior court’s decision at all in its evaluation of cases and extension of plea offers. Judges have precluded defense attorneys from even mentioning the decision at trial, allowing many jurors to remain uninformed of such problems.

As always, having an experienced DUI defense attorney on your side can help prevent or correct a wrongful conviction. Seeking professional counsel is the best choice if you or a loved one is involved in a DUI case. You need someone who can get you the best outcome possible and challenge any injustices that have already, or could come your way.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament is approaching and with it, all of the festivities that the tournament brings, including DUIs.

The Scottsdale, Arizona stop of the PGA Tour will include four days of golf, large crowds and lots of alcohol. Among the list of major featured sponsors includes Alliance Beverage Distributing Company of Arizona, the largest alcoholic beverage distributor in the state.

While the golfers are on the green, police will be on the prowl looking for potential traffic violations and DUI tickets as spectators exit the TPC course.

“You’re being watched by law enforcement before you even get to your car,” said Christopher P. Corso, who prosecuted all of the DUIs stemming from the golf tournament when he worked for the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office. “Police officers are watching golf fans as they leave the golf course for any signs of impairment. Once they spot a person getting behind the wheel, they follow through on their promise to be tough on DUIs.”

Corso said The WM Phoenix Open website provides spectators with a list of shuttle and cab companies in the Scottsdale area, to give everyone the option to drink and get home safely.

With more than 14,000 cases under their belt, the Arizona DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group know the stiff penalties for driving under the influence in Arizona.

In fact, Arizona is one of the strictest states in the country for DUI enforcement. For anyone found guilty of a first offense, there is a minimum jail time of 24 hours, substantial fines of up to $2,500 with an 84 percent surcharge and license suspension of 90-365 days, with the exception of drug-related DUIs, which can include up to two years of license suspension.

In 2013, the number of DUIs at the Phoenix Open ended lower than 2012’s 119 DUI arrests.

Please contact Corso Law Group today for a free consultation. The Arizona law firm’s criminal defense attorneys will meet to discuss each unique situation and help determine the best means of action. To schedule a free consultation, please call (480) 471-4616. Corso Law Group is located at 17470 N. Pacesetter Way Scottsdale, AZ 85255.

In Arizona, a DUI conviction is not something taken lightly when deciding punishment. If convicted of a DUI, penalties could include a minimum jail time of 24 hours, a license suspension and numerous fines.

According to the Arizona Government of Highway Safety, in 2012 there was a total of 30,433 DUI arrests. However, recent evidence shows a portion of these could be mistakenly penalized due to faulty technology. Scottsdale’s police lab is currently under fire for alleged defective equipment used to determine the blood alcohol content level of those charged with DUIs in Scottsdale.

Court documents indicate Scottsdale police have known about potential problems with the blood-testing equipment over the past few years. The police lab switched its software in 2009, however, lab technicians continued to use old software in a new blood-testing machine. These are reportedly incompatible and has potentially caused as many as 50 percent of processed blood samples to read inaccurately.

The software glitch was first recognized when lab employees noticed labeled vials with wrong names or numbers, machine failure during tests and showed repetitive blood alcohol tests of 40 people at a time which, according to Scottsdale Attorney Craig Rosenstein, “statistically is not going to happen.”

The Email Trail

Although Sgt. Mark Clark released a statement saying the Scottsdale police lab has “met or exceed[ed] the rigorous standards set by [the] American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board,” multiple emails between Scottsdale lab employees and their supervisors acknowledged that there was clearly a problem with a machine in the lab.

One email mentioned how the machine failed a test but was logged as having passed. Regardless of the complication, results from tests that were run on that machine were published. Another email indicated that some employees thought the machine should be taken out of service completely.

The emails also exposed at least one concerned lab employee reporting problems with a blood-testing machine to the manufacturer, who wanted to correct the “malfunctioning equipment.”

Another employee who worked directly with the equipment wrote to managers that a machine had failed its weekly autotune check but despite the failure, an entry was made in the log stating that it had “passed the check and casework was done using the instrument.”

The Aftermath

Getting charged with a DUI can have many drastic effects on someone’s life such as loss of employment and long term effects like finding a new job.

“Because this problem is just hitting the surface there is no way of knowing how many people have been affected,” said Christopher P. Corso of Corso Law Group. “We’re talking about potentially hundreds of DUI cases. It’s yet another example of why you should hire an experienced Arizona DUI lawyer to represent you in such cases.

What You Can Do

Hiring an experienced DUI attorney is always the best way to protect you and your family. A DUI conviction will remain on your record permanently and will be used as a prior offense for the next ten years. One criminal defense team in Scottsdale has worked with over 15,000 DUI cases.

Corso Law Group will give you the benefit of their expertise when fighting for your case. Having an Arizona DUI attorney with experience means your case will be handled by DUI lawyers who know how the system works and how to best defend you against an Arizona DUI or drunk driving charge.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – While Labor Day means the end of summer, the experienced DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group know it can also mean the beginning of a very costly DUI mistake for many Arizonans.

“Arizona’s DUI laws are very tough,” said Christopher P. Corso, of Corso Law Group. “The penalties can be severe, jail time is required and a DUI conviction can cost you your job.”

Corso should know from experience the problems that can arise from long holiday weekends. Both attorneys previously prosecuted DUIs, DWIs and OUIs for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Combined, the two Arizona DUI lawyers have handled more than 15,000 DUI cases as prosecutors and defense attorneys. They know first-hand the seriousness of a DUI citation.

The statistics support their claims. While Labor Day 2011 arrests were down, law enforcement attributed it to less enforcement. Two years ago, 1,407 Arizonans were cited for DUIs while more than 1,200 were cited in 2009, up 46.6 percent from 2008, according to the State of Arizona.

“DUIs are a serious mistake that no one can afford to make,” Corso said. “Anyone facing an Arizona DUI charge needs the experience of an aggressive DUI lawyer fighting on their side.”

Experience matters in defending Arizona DUI cases, according to Corso Law Group. Arizona law requires that any person found guilty of drinking and driving (even a first offense) serve jail time. And DUI convictions can also include extensive fines up to $2,500, suspension of driving privileges and the installation of an ignition interlock device – even for first offenders.

Afterward, repercussions may continue to follow DUI offenders.

“A DUI conviction can follow you indefinitely,” Corso said. “In the short-term, losing your license can cost you your job, and in the long-term it can continue to do so when a potential employer conducts a background check.”

In addition to DUIs and DWIs, Corso Law Group handles a myriad of criminal cases, including domestic violence defense, possession of drugs, felony drug charges, photo radar, criminal speeding, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.

The Arizona DUI attorneys at Corso Law Group do everything in their power to protect defendant’s families and advocate for their rights. They have the experience and expertise to deal with DUI charges in Arizona and will fight to get the charges dismissed and preserve their family.

Every DUI defense case in Arizona is different, however, and the outcome is dependent upon the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the DUI charges, which makes having an experienced Arizona DUI defense attorney even more important.

Corso Law Group has quickly built a reputation for its vigorous defense of clients, using its lawyers’ previous experience with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and other prosecutorial agencies to assist its clients with their criminal defense cases.

In addition to DUI defense, Corso Law Group handles all criminal defense cases, including domestic violence defense, possession of drugs, felony drug charges, photo radar, criminal speeding, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.

The experienced Arizona DUI lawyers at Corso Law Group serve clients throughout Arizona, including the cities of Ahwatukee, Avondale, Buckeye, Chandler, El Mirage, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City, Surprise, Tempe, Tolleson and Youngtown.

To schedule a free consultation, please visit www.corsolawgroup.com or call (480) 471-4616. Corso Law Group, PLLC is located at 17470 N. Pacesetter Way Scottsdale, AZ 85255.