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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 11:11 am

Most of us are probably scrambling to plan a last-minute Memorial Day weekend packed with fun and festivities, or already have a pre-planned weekend of fun organized. While the holiday in which we remember and honor all the people who have served, and celebrate those who are serving in the Armed Forces, is still a few days away, it’s a good idea to start preparing now for responsible fun.

Among your list of activities for the long weekend may be barbecues, a round of golf or laying out by the pool. But what goes great with all of those? A few ice-cold beers to help keep you cool in this desert heat.

While we all want to have an enjoyable and relaxing weekend, we also must remember to be smart and make wise decisions.

The Peoria Police Department is already thinking in advance to help keep its residents safe.

Continue reading 'Be safe this Memorial Day weekend'»

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 11:08 am

If a police officer pulls you over on suspicion of drunken driving, the officer will likely try to perform a test that will provide evidence that you do, in fact, have alcohol in your system.

There are two main ways an officer can test to see if you have been drinking—having you blow into a Breathalyzer or taking a blood sample. You often have the option of choosing one or the other, although police may or may not tell you so.

Continue reading 'Obtaining an independent blood test'»

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 11:04 am

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being stopped for drunken driving, you are probably worried about the consequences. You might initially be concerned about what happens if you do not have the money to hire an attorney.

If you are afraid of what may happen if you do not have an attorney to defend you, you may think it is wise to try to dissuade the officers from arresting you on the spot. However, rambling off stories about how you “only had two beers, but that was two hours ago, and you swear you are not drunk” could land you in a whole lot of trouble.

Continue reading 'I got pulled over for a DUI, but I cannot afford an attorney…'»

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 11:00 am

Beauchamp Law Office has a proven track record of success.

Of the 127 client cases on the Beauchamp Law Office Web site, over 100 have been dismissed, leaving defendants free of all penalties.

The types of charges that made up the 127 listed client cases include: DUI; extreme DUI; super extreme DUI; second offense DUI; underage DUI; disorderly conduct; criminal trespassing; criminal damage; armed robbery; possession of marijuana (class 6 felony); reckless driving; prostitution; theft; assault; aggravated assault; disorderly conduct; class 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 felony; trafficking of stolen property; criminal speed; drugs; sexual abuse; unlawful discharge of firearm; resisting arrest; criminal damage; shoplifting; prescription drug possession; attempted theft of credit card; fraudulent use of credit card; taking identity of another; endangerment; hit and run fixture and driving on revoked driver license.

What does this mean? It means that we have a track record of positive results. This means you get the representation you deserve to have. You and your case get the attention that they deserve. You and your DUI case will be defended through any necessary means, even if this means taking your case to trial.

We have a highly skilled team, trained to know how to get you and your DUI case favorable results.

While Beauchamp Law Office cannot guarantee that any and every charge will be dismissed, in most cases we have been able to reduce our client’s penalties. Probation, a $300 fine, traffic school and 120 days-in-jail reduced to only 10 days in jail are some great examples of this.

We encourage you to visit us at  http://www.phoenixarizonaduilawyer.com/case-results.html for more details on our case results and to view the complete list of results we have obtained for cases that may be similar to yours. And remember, if you need an experienced DUI lawyer, call Beauchamp Law Office today.

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 10:53 am

Our country is based on laws—laws to keep us safe and to protect against unfair, bad and life-threatening things from happening.

Should you ever find yourself facing the law in court over a DUI (and I certainly hope you do not!) your absolute best bet is to get a lawyer. In this video I answer the question, “Why should I spend money and hire a DUI lawyer.”

If you need more persuasion, take a look at this list. It is my recent case results. I think you will notice something immediately; the difference between ‘charges’ and ‘results’. Extreme DUI, dismissed. DUI, dismissed. DUI/prostitution, dismissed.

You do not have to go up against the legal system alone. And with a great DUI lawyer on your side, your case could be the next favorable judgment on that list. We will do everything we can to make that happen.

This post was intended to provide general information only and is not intended as specific legal advice. You should not rely upon this information alone, but should consult legal counsel regarding the application of the laws and regulations discussed and as applied to your specific case or circumstance.

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 25, 2010 10:50 am

In many recent jury trials for DUI cases, it seems jurors often come in with expectations of what they are going to see.

When the case is first announced as a drunken driving case, a lot of the potential jurors look bored or disappointed—not the imminently law-defining, important case on which they hoped to serve. But when a forensic scientist is introduced, the mood changes. They perk up and look interested. For the CSI fans in the box, there’s an immediate expectation of a dramatic re-enactment of what they saw on primetime last night.

Continue reading 'Going to trial? It’s not going to be like CSI.'»

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 13, 2010 11:31 am

Click here or here to read the articles that Beauchamp Law Office, P.C. was feature in on AZCentral.com!

About a third of the Ahwatukee Foothills’ offices may be standing empty, but paying a monthly rent is no longer a concern of lawyer Melanie Beauchamp’s.

About four years ago, Beauchamp decided it was wasteful and pointless to continue paying $4,100 a month in rent for a 1,200-square-foot office in Ahwatukee Foothills. So instead, Beauchamp decided she would buy a place to call her own.

While a lot of office space buildings have for-lease signs in the windows and others have been put up for sale by landlords frustrated with a lack of tenants, Beauchamp Law Office feels no such struggle.

There has been a trend toward working from home, and although some observers think it’s just a matter of time before professionals and small-business owners go back to leasing offices, others view the vacancies as part of a sea change.

People are productive at home and it works.

But what works for Melanie Beauchamp is owning her own office building.

Beauchamp purchased a 4,200-square-foot single-story office condo near 44th Street and Ray Road at a price of $160,000. Considering the freedom and sense of ownership the place provides, Beauchamp feels her decision to buy was well worth it.

Beauchamp doesn’t have to worry about anyone telling her how to decorate or that there are no pets allowed. Instead, she does with the space whatever she feels like.

“People know you are not fly-by-night,” said Beauchamp, a member of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee. “I put granite and travertine in here. Would I do that in a leased space?”

Beauchamp says the reason to own is clear—there’s a camaraderie and pride of ownership at her place that you won’t find everywhere.

Beauchamp said she designed her office from the slab up. It is decorated in soothing shades of brown, deep red and ocean blue. And the hallways are built to conceal one office from the next.

Just know that a lot of careful thought and preparation goes into not only the residence we call “work” but into each and every individual case.

This post was intended to provide general information only and is not intended as specific legal advice. You should not rely upon this information alone, but should consult legal counsel regarding the application of the laws and regulations discussed and as applied to your specific case or circumstance.

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 10, 2010 1:48 pm

A high school teenager who had been in a collision with a drunken driver this past Thursday died in the hospital over the weekend.

Cody Bishop, 18, was driving his van near the intersection of Ray and Rural Roads in Chandler when he was struck by a Chevy pickup around 10:15 p.m. Thursday night.

Flickr user Dawn Endico

Police said the driver of the truck, Steven Landrum, 23, was driving at 80 to 90 miles per hour on a road with a 45-mph speed limit. The vehicles collided and the teenager’s vehicle rolled several times.

Eighteen-year-old Bishop received severe brain injuries and was flown to a nearby hospital that Thursday night, where he remained on life support until Saturday night.

Bishop died Sunday morning when his body gave up and could no longer ward off the severity of his injuries. He was a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe.

Landrum, who was hospitalized with minor injuries and later released, has been charged on suspicion of manslaughter and booked into a Maricopa County jail.

Chandler police said Landrum was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

This is a tragic example of how drinking and driving can ruin lives.

Bishop was just about to graduate high school and had his entire life left to live. Who knows what incredible journey he was about to embark on and where the future would have led him.

Similarly, Landrum’s decision to drink and drive has landed him in some serious trouble as well. He faces long-term jail time but more pressing is this young man’s death on his conscience for the rest of his life.

Please be smart about drinking and driving and know that it’s never worth it. And remember, even if you are sober, there very likely could be intoxicated drivers on the roads that you need to be weary of.

This is a sad example of how your decisions can have horrible consequences for others.

This post was intended to provide general information only and is not intended as specific legal advice. You should not rely upon this information alone, but should consult legal counsel regarding the application of the laws and regulations discussed and as applied to your specific case or circumstance.

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 7, 2010 9:09 am

Arizona’s DUI laws have rightly earned their reputation of being some of the nation’s strictest. According to state law, an officer can arrest and send you to jail even if you are below the legal .08 limit.

“If I feel that you are impaired to the slightest degree, I’m going to arrest you for DUI,” Glendale police Sgt. Mark Malinski said in an interview with The Arizona Republic.

Malinski, who heads the West Valley DUI Task Force, has seen quite a few impaired people taken off the road. And while there’s no way to know whether that impaired person would have been involved in a crash, he says he knows he’s making a difference.

“I feel like we’re actually accomplishing something. A lot of the people that we arrest don’t realize that we’re actually trying to save their life.”

Arizona has about 20 DUI-related task forces, including Malinski’s, one in the East Valley and several in the northern and southern parts of the state.

And every year, these task forces pull over and send more and more impaired drivers to jail. In 2009 alone, the West Valley force made over 4,000 misdemeanor DUI arrests, up from 3,300 in 2008.

Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, called the task forces “incredibly effective” in the article.

“What it is is a message to people that they can celebrate, they can enjoy, but if you’re going to drink too much, get a cab, get a designated driver, or walk home, but don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Gutier said to The Arizona Republic.

The Office helps sponsor the Task Forces, including helping to pay overtime for the officers involved. On the agency’s website, a note reminds driver’s of the very real consequences of drinking and driving–no matter how slightly intoxicated–in Arizona:

The police officers, highway patrolmen and sheriff’s deputies in the State of Arizona have a Zero Tolerance policy towards individuals driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Please do NOT drink and drive. Call a cab. Bring a sober designated driver. Have a sober friend or family member come pick you up. The risks are definitely not worth it.

And remember: Drive Hammered… Get Nailed!

This post was intended to provide general information only and is not intended as specific legal advice. You should not rely upon this information alone, but should consult legal counsel regarding the application of the laws and regulations discussed and as applied to your specific case or circumstance.

Photo used under Creative Commons from BarelyFitz

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By ArizonaDUI.com, May 4, 2010 10:32 am

Alcohol has proven to be statistically related to fatal automobile crashes many years ago. Studies have shown that even low doses of alcohol will impair one’s visual perceptions and reaction times.

And for the longest time, there seemed to be no sure-proof, accurate way for arresting officers to prove that a person had been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel other than based solely on one’s demeanor. In the cases of obvious intoxication, sure, but what about all the mild drinkers?

The earliest tests for measuring blood-alcohol content were based upon venous blood samples. And then the first breath-testing device, the “Breathalyzer,” was developed by Robert Borkenstein in 1954. And in more recent years, Interlock systems have been developed.

An interlock system is a device that measures Breath Alcohol Content (BrAC) and prevents a car from starting if the operator has been drinking. This device requires drivers to blow into a Breathalyzer before starting their car (an obvious change in driver behavior). If the breath test system registers alcohol above the legal limit, the vehicle will not start.

This type of device sounds great for preventing people from driving after having had a few cocktails, but there are some negatives associated with them.

These systems currently being sold in the U.S. and around the world are visible interlock system devices. One that might exist in the family car creates an undeniable social stigma that not only the driver, but also the driver’s children and family, must deal with on a daily basis. One major problem with these visible interlock systems is that people won’t install them in their cars because of the social stigma associated with them.

Interlock devices have also been criticized because they require drivers to blow into the device before the car will start as well as after driving for a period of time, so drivers must be able to safely pull over and repeat the test when the machine tells them to. This isn’t practical or safe.

Interlock systems are not wholly reliable or accurate and often need to be recalibrated. They may work for some offenders in some contexts, but not for all offenders in all situations.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Nightlife Of Revelry

While a great idea and a device that has prevented many an intoxicated driver from getting behind the wheel, our American law enforcement has yet to come up with a sure-fire way to test and prove one’s degree of intoxication as an exact measure.