Every week, Scottsdale Court publishes their arrest report. The report is made available online as a PDF document. So that I know I’m staying current with the services my law firm provides, this is a document that I review on a very regular basis. The document will usually reflect several DUI arrests, assaults, possession of drug paraphernalia, and urinating in public; but, one of the charges that you would not expect to see very often is driving on a suspended license. In fact, on an average week, I would guess that driving on a suspended license comes out to about 20% of the cases at Scottsdale Court.
Now, there are a few different ways in which somebody can be charged with driving on suspended license. The first is if somebody received a DUI or their license was suspended because of exceeding a certain amount of MVD points. The second is because somebody may have an unpaid speeding ticket or maybe they have a warrant for their arrest. It’s fairly common for us to speak with people that had no idea their license was suspended. They could have simply avoided the charge of driving on a suspended license if they simply paid $55 the MVD requires to reinstate their license.
Irrespective of the type of driving on suspended license scenario that you’re facing, you will be charged with a criminal misdemeanor. If you have a pattern of driving on suspended license, the court could sentence you to a small term of jail and the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division will require that your license become suspended for even longer. Most importantly, however, you will have a criminal conviction on your record.
It’s our job as your attorney to get involved with the case as quickly as possible to see what we can do about getting the charges dismissed. If we find that you could simply have your license reinstated we would encourage you to do so. If our attorneys can provide proof to the prosecutor that your license has been reinstated, it’s possible that we can negotiate a dismissal of your case. Now, I do have to warn you, this approach has to be made very cautiously. We have a long working relationship with the prosecutors at Scottsdale Court. We understand the policies as prosecutors and are able to devise effective case strategies that could significantly improve the outcome of your case.
The smart thing to do if you are charged with driving on a suspended license in Scottsdale, Tempe, or anywhere in the Phoenix area is to call the attorneys at my office. Do not try to represent yourself – there’s a good chance that you will make things worse! Call our attorneys at 602-926-0673.
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.
