As the owner of a very successful criminal defense law practice, I can tell you that DUIs are one of the most misunderstood practice areas. Everyone thinks they know something about Arizona DUI laws. These beliefs are held by lawyers and non-lawyers alike. With respect to lawyers, I’ve noticed that new lawyers, straight out of law school, attempt to open law practices that either take any type of case that walks through the door, or they hold themselves out as practicing DUI law when, in fact, they’ve never read a single article about DUI law, never attended seminars, have zero knowledge about toxicology, field sobriety tests, MVD consequences, etc.
As you can see, as a lawyer who has handled thousands of cases, people’s lack of knowledge of an area of law I am extremely familiar with frustrates me to no end. The truth is, DUI defense work needs to be left to lawyers who have committed their practice to learning as much about DUI laws and defenses as possible. Let me make this very clear, if a lawyer is representing a DUI client for the very first time, they have no clue what they’re doing. The good news is, if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you or a loved one has received a DUI in Gilbert. I have personally handled hundreds of Gilbert cases. I am an experienced DUI lawyer who has received countless awards for my DUI work.
What A Lawyer Can do For Your Gilbert DUI Case
The absolute very first thing that needs to be done in all DUI cases is to request a hearing with the motor vehicle division. Depending on the type of DUI you are facing, you could lose your driver’s license for 90 days to a year. Unless we request a hearing with the MVD within 15 days of your arrest or citation, your license will automatically be suspended. You will not be given a second chance. This means, as soon as we are hired, I email one of my contacts at the MVD letting them know we are requesting a hearing for our client. This way, their license is preserved and suspension doesn’t become automatic.
The second thing we do is request our client’s police report and toxicology records. Investigating the case as quickly as possible is critical to providing quality representation. Once we receive the police report, we will closely review it with our client. After combing through it, we will schedule interviews with the arresting police officer. You would be surprised how much valuable information we get from interviewing officers. After officers are interviewed, we interview the person who analyzed our client’s blood. This is the most complicated component of a DUI investigation. This is where we shine. I have a high level of knowledge about organic and analytical chemistry; both of which I use to dissect the State’s examination of my client’s blood. I am able to use my background to uncover errors that other attorneys may be unable to.
Once we have performed a complete investigation, we file pretrial motions to dismiss our client’s case or prepare the case for trial. I could very easily write a book about DUI law. If you’ve been arrested for a DUI, the easiest thing to do is call my office to speak with me directly for free. I’ll give you a complete overview of what we can do for your case, 602-926-8902.
Author Bio
Matthew L. Lopez
Matthew L. Lopez is the Managing Attorney and founder of Matthew Lopez Law, a criminal defense and DUI firm serving clients throughout Arizona. His track record of case dismissals and charge reductions has earned him honors, including a National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 nomination, a “Superb” 10/10 Avvo rating, and a Rising Star designation by Super Lawyers.
Matthew is a member of the National College for DUI Defense and holds active memberships with the Arizona Association for Criminal Justice and the Arizona Association for Justice. His firm handles criminal defense, DUI, drug charges, and traffic offenses, offering free consultations and affordable payment plans to make quality defense accessible to all Arizonans.
