Former Arizona Legislator Faces DUI Charges

A former Arizona legislator has been arrested on charges of DUI, according to recent reports from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office. Representative Albert Hale, 64, was arrested by the Department of Public Safety and booked into jail in Holbrook after his initial court appearance. Hale is from St. Michaels Navajo Nation community in Apache County and was appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat in 2004. He served until 2010. There is no word at this time on Hale’s alleged blood alcohol content or any other charges that may be pending against him.

DUI: A Flexible Charge

One reason it is difficult to make any statement about probable actions of prosecutors regarding a DUI is that they have so many choices in Arizona when it comes to how drivers may be charged. Here are just a few:

• A driver with a blood alcohol content below .08 percent may be charged with DUI if he or she evidences any signs of impairment “to the slightest degree.” These charges are not as easy to prove as those in which there is a higher BAC, but it is an error to assume that you cannot be charged with DUI if your blood alcohol is less than .08 percent. There have been convictions secured against drivers with low BACs, particularly if they were involved in an accident at the time of the arrest.
• A driver with a blood alcohol content between .08 percent and .15 percent may be charged with DUI and a variety of other charges such as reckless driving, child endangerment if a child is in the vehicle and various traffic violations. In some cases, a “regular” DUI can turn into a felony.
• A driver with a high blood alcohol content may incur additional charges. If your BAC is more than .15 you can be charged with Extreme DUI and with Super Extreme DUI if more than .20.

It is very important to understand the charges against you in order to create the right strategy for dealing with them. The DUI attorneys at Oswalt Law Group in Phoenix are ready to help. We offer consultations to all who are charged with DUI and other crimes and can assist you in forming a defense, no matter what the circumstances of your arrest. Give us a call today; we will speak to you about your case and help you understand your rights and options.