52 arrested at Tempe sports bar for underage drinking
This latest round-up of 52 alleged underage drinkers at Tempe’s “Hail Mary” sports bar follows the arrest of 85 Tempe college age partiers at the Vue Apartments two weeks ago. For guidance on what to do if you are charged with DUI / DWI, Minor in Consumption, Minor in Possession, or any other alcohol related offense, read my earlier post here: http://vigilaw.com/?p=141.
Source: www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2009/09/15/20090915tr-hailmarys0915.html#comments
John Vigileos
Attorney at Law
(602) 443-0415
Alcohol related arrests way down at the Vue Apartments
Well, the party may not be over at the Vue Apartments in Tempe, but it has gotten a lot quieter since the recent crack down on student residents by ASU Police. According to recent reports, two Vue residents were arrested last Wednesday, and sixteen on Thursday, with no arrests over the Labor Day weekend. If you were arrested at the Vue or any other place for an alcohol related offense, see my earlier post here for some guidance: http://vigilaw.com/?p=141.
John Vigileos
Attorney at Law
(602) 443-0415
Charged with DUI or Underage Drinking Offense, Now What?
Most people charged with alcohol related offenses have no experience with the criminal justice system and have no idea what their options are. Usually, a number of vaguely articulated questions swirl through your mind as your first court date approaches: How serious is this? Will the court give me an attorney? Should I hire my own attorney? Do I have to plead guilty at the first court hearing? If I don’t plead guilty, are they going to be harder on me? Am I going to jail? The answers to these questions may vary according to the specific charges and the facts of your case. But, having an attorney on your side is always the best option, and, for those who are able, hiring a competent private attorney is your safest bet.
In all Arizona DUI cases you are entitled to a court appointed attorney if you cannot afford to hire your own attorney. In some courts, the standard practice is to provide you a waiver form to sign, giving up your right to an attorney. This is never a good idea, but many people do it because they feel confused and intimidated that exercising their rights will somehow make things harder on them. Sometimes, a court appointed attorney may seem not much better than no attorney at all, because they are invariably very busy and hard to get ahold of. Still, they are better than no attorney at all. At the very least, your court appointed attorney should be able to detect any glaring deficiencies in the State’s case against you. Rarely, however, do they have the time or resources to engage in the extensive discovery process that is necessary in order to ensure the best result in your DUI case. Also, your court appointed attorney will be strictly limited to helping you with the criminal aspect of your DUI case, but not the associated civil/administrative issues related to your driving privileges. The other common complaint with court appointed attorneys is that they are very hard to get a hold of. A full service private attorney can handle all aspects of your DUI case, including MVD administrative hearings, and should always be accessible to answer your questions. Hiring a private attorney is not always a guarantee that your case will be dismissed or that your attorney can obtain a plea agreement to something less than a DUI in all cases. A good attorney can and should thoroughly vet your case and exploit every weakness in the evidence against you, leaving no stone unturned. In many cases, this diligence can result in a dismissal, a plea agreement to a lesser offense, or an acquittal at trial, but each case will have its own issues and unique facts, and there are no guarantees. For many, just the security of having a professional attorney on your side — someone who answers your calls, walks you through the process, and buffers you against compassionless prosecutors and judges, is reason enough to justify the cost of private counsel.
Underage Drinking Offenses, such as Minor Liquor Consumption (MIC), Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP) are not usually as serious as a DUI offense. However, Underage Drinking and Driving carries a substantially harsher driver’s license suspension requirement than a DUI offense. Usually, you are not entitled to a court appointed attorney for these types of offenses. If you do not hire an attorney, you will be dealing directly with the prosecutor, which puts you at a distinct disadvantage — he/she knows the law and you don’t. Again, hiring a private attorney is not always a guarantee of any particular result, but a good attorney will give you the peace of mind to know that you have achieved the best result.
John Vigileos
Attorney at Law
(602) 443-0415
