Recently in DUI in the News Category

It's time to celebrate the end of summer this Labor Day weekend. But before you decide to drive after chugging beers and sipping cocktails, you should be aware that law enforcers throughout the state will be on the lookout for drunk drivers with AZ DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols.

The Arizona Republic reports that the Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force will be conducting patrols starting at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and will continue until Monday. The Phoenix News Times reported that various Phoenix metro law enforcement agencies will be conducting their Annual Labor Day Weekend DUI Task Force this weekend.

People with DUI warrants in the town of Surprise may want to be on the lookout for law enforcers when they're in their homes this week. According to ABC News, the Surprise Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are conducting a search for surprise residents with outstanding DUI warrants.

The search began yesterday and will continue until the weekend, where authorities are visiting the homes and businesses of those with outstanding warrants for driving under the influence charges. As of Tuesday, there were more than 300 DUI warrants in the town of Surprise.

When driving through a school zone in Pima County, make sure that you're following the designated speed limit and that you're mindful of any little pedestrians that may be crossing the street. KVOA News reports that Pima County Sheriff Deputies are dedicated to enforcing the traffic rules in school related zones and writing tickets to any violators.

The Sheriff's Department says that they have "speed enforcement" patrols that are making rounds to the various schools in the area. On Wednesday, deputies reportedly staked out in front of Flowing Wells Junior High School in Tucson to catch people speeding.

A third grade Spanish teacher at Dr. Williams Chapman Elementary school in Miami-Dade County, Florida was charged with driving under the influence after her dramatic arrest on August 4. However, the Miami Herald now reports that the suspect Joann Tomas will not be returning to her classroom this week. Instead, the woman has been reassigned to office work pending the disposition of her case.

In addition to drunk driving charges, the woman also reportedly faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. These charges come after allegations that the suspect threatened police officers and that the suspect kicked an officer in the groin after throwing handcuffs at him.

Arizona State University has developed a reputation for being a party college with lots of booze flowing through the ASU campus and Tempe area. Yet with ASU students scheduled to move in this weekend, city and campus authorities say that they will be cracking the whip on the university's drinking policy.

The Arizona Republic Reports that off-campus housing facilities in Tempe have also started to regulate underage drinking and develop alcohol consumption policies. Officers with the Tempe Police Department enforce such policies and will target a particular apartment complex when they receive multiple complaints from that complex.

Dana Anderson was arrested earlier this month in Prescott after crashing into a traffic sign on a State Route 89 off ramp. Police say that the 54-year-old woman from Chino Valley seemed dazed and confused after the crash and police asked her if she had hit her head in the collision. She replied that she had not, which led police to conduct field sobriety tests.

The Prescott Daily Courier reports that once Dana Anderson failed the field sobriety tests, she was booked into the Yavapai County Jail in Camp Verde on charges of super extreme DUI over .20 BAC, extreme DUI BAC greater than .15, DUI of .08 or more, DUI, felony endangerment, and felony criminal damage. Apparently, it's going to cost $5,000 to repair the road sign.

The Tucson Police Department has been taking on efforts to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road, including conducting a Tucson DUI checkpoint on Saturday July 31 on N. Oracle Rd. at W. Simmons Rd.

According KVOA, over 1,000 drivers proceeded through the DUI checkpoint, where 23 police officers were utilized. The officers made a total of 18 misdemeanor DUI arrests, three of which were also charged with extreme DUI for having an alcohol concentration above 0.150 BAC. Tucson officers also made two felony DUI arrests at the checkpoint for aggravated DUI. Aside from the numerous DUI arrests, officers issued 127 other traffic citations at the checkpoint.