To Mitigate Arizona’s Strict Penalties, it Is Important to Retain an Attorney

Interviewer: That law makes absolutely no sense.

Brian: Exactly. That’s why it is important to have an attorney. The ignition interlock device only tests for alcohol, it has nothing to do with drugs, illegal or legal.

Arizona law requires an interlock device on any vehicle if the driver is convicted of a DUI unless you know what you’re doing and how to ask to successfully to prevent an ignition interlock device from being ordered.

Interviewer: If you know someone who uses medical marijuana, do they need to report that to anyone? Or does having a card a become liability to you because it can show up in public record and be used against you?

Brian: There has to be some evident of marijuana use to warrant a charge. Simply having a card that allows you to use medical marijuana isn’t going to be enough. The prosecutor has to prove that is was present in your system.

Possession of a Medical Marijuana Card Will Not Result in a Count Two Charge

They do that by way of a blood test or urine test. Possessing a medical marijuana card, even though there are issues with medical marijuana being “recommended” and not prescribed many times a prosecutor’s office will determine that is do not warrant a charge count two–that you were driving while you had any drug or its metabolite in your system.

I think they realize that this is an issue with the law. They do realize that it is unfair to have the state of Arizona and a doctor recommend that you take medical marijuana for medical reasons and then charge someone for simply having it present in their system.

I think that’s an ethical issue for the prosecutor. Some prosecutors won’t charge it, others will but you still have to deal with the issue of impairment.

Interviewer: If you’re involved in a traffic stop and you have a medical marijuana card and the police see it or you give it to them, would that give them probably cause to draw your blood?

Brian: It shouldn’t but the officers know what they are doing and they know to say, “Well, I noticed blood shot, watery eyes, well, the person admitted to smoking marijuana an hour earlier.” They’ll find a way to obtain blood.

Possession of a Medical Marijuana Card Is Not Adequate to Establish Probable Cause

But simply because the person has a medical marijuana card on them is not probable cause to believe that they have consumed marijuana nor that they have used marijuana so they would not be able to get access to the blood or urine.

For example, before the medical marijuana laws came into effect I had a client who was pulled over and they discovered that he had marijuana in his backpack.

After discovering marijuana in his backpack, the officers decided to draw his blood, figuring that if he has marijuana in his backpack he must have ingested marijuana.

We were right on the verge of getting that blood test result suppressed because there is no reason to believe that simply because one has it in a backpack that they have it in their system. It’s the same thing with the medical marijuana card.

If you have a medical marijuana card, without more evidence, the simple possession does not indicate that someone has marijuana in his or her system or that they are under the influence of marijuana.

Interviewer: Is it the same as if someone went to a smoke shop it, doesn’t mean that they used any of the products inside of the shop in an illegal way?

Brian: It is the same analogy: Simply someone walking into a bar doesn’t mean that they are coming out drunk.

By Brian Douglas Sloan

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Why Attorney Brian Douglas Sloan?

18+

18+ Years SOLELY Focused on DUI Defense

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4,100+ DUIs Successfully Defended

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“I am one of only a handful of Phoenix DUI Lawyers that focuses solely on DUI Defense representation.”

I have spent my entire career focused on DUI Defense representation, having personally defended more than 4,100+ DUI clients in the past 18+ years.

If you’re looking for a divorce attorney, tax attorney, or civil attorney, then I can comfortably say: "I’m not the one for you".

Coming up with traditional, as well as outside-the-box motions and defenses for my clients, often with good results, is the hallmark of my practice.

Lawyers that say they are "aggressive", or "will fight for you", are a dime a dozen. They use these phrases because that is what they think people want to hear. The truth of the matter is, being "aggressive" rarely gets the client anywhere in these court systems. Being "aggressive" isn’t the same as being good, and is often used to put on a show for a client to hide the fact that they aren’t doing anything meaningful for the client.

The same is true for the lawyers that claim to do DUI Defense... and Criminal Cases..., and Accident cases..., and Divorces. A Jack-of-all-Trades is a master of none. By handling all different sorts of cases, they take away from their ability to truly focus on DUIs, and keep up to date on the latest changes in DUI Defense Representation.

What I offer is intelligent, quality DUI Defense, at an exceptional price.

I am one of only a handful of Arizona DUI Lawyers that focuses solely on DUI Defense representation.

I have not only taught other lawyers how to do DUI Defense Representation at statewide seminars, but I produce DUI Legal Guides used by defense lawyers across Arizona.

I am one of the most award-winning DUI Defense Lawyers in Arizona; have been recognized nationally, including in a 2022 issue of USA Today; and there are only a few lawyers in Arizona who have personally defended more DUI cases than I have. I am also one of the most reasonably-priced DUI Lawyers, as I pride myself on charging a Flat Rate only for the legal services you need, and not for the legal services you don’t.

I am also the lawyer who people call once they realize that their original lawyer screwed something up, gave them false hope or false promises, or simply just took their money and didn’t do much on the case. You would be surprised at how often this happens.

Save yourself the trouble of hiring the wrong lawyer, and hire the right DUI Defense Lawyer from the start.

You can reach me on my personal cell phone: 480-720-7839.

Let me know if you have any questions!


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