Task forces across the state made 171 arrests for driving under the influence in Arizona during Cinco de Mayo celebrations. The statistics were released by the governor’s office on Thursday, and the numbers show that 50 of those arrests were for extreme DUI.

Extreme AZ DUI is charged when a motorist has a blood alcohol content of .15% or higher. The legal limit for intoxication in the state is .08%.

The statewide drunk driving crackdown during Cinco de Mayo included 224 officers conducting sobriety checkpoints and targeted patrols.

Have you been arrested for a Arizona DUI?

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department says that a suspected drunk driver plowed through a fence at the Destin Airport around 3:00 am and crashed into a parked plane. Brian Mowen was arrested at the scene and faces multiple charges, including driving under the influence in Florida. He refused to submit to a breath test.

Mowne, 30, hit a Cirrus SR22 single engine aircraft, and caused an estimated $500,000 in damages. The Destin Fire Department had to contain a fuel leak from the airplane. Mowen suffered minor injuries that did not impact his booking at the Okaloosa County Jail.

Have you been charged with a Florida DUI?

Colorado State Patrol troopers are piecing together details of an impaired driving incident on Interstate 70 Wednesday afternoon. Reportedly, Robin Boyce was driving westbound on I-70 in Jefferson County when she hit a truck around 12:30 pm. She continued driving west for about 40 miles before striking a tractor-trailer rig. The impact of the second crash partially ripped the top of her Volkswagen Beetle off.

Boyce drove two more miles before striking a guard rail. She then exited the highway near Silverthorne and parked at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. She attempted to run from police but was apprehended. Boyce was taken to a local hospital for a check-up before being booked on suspicion of DUI in Colorado at the Summit County Jail.

Boyce had a golden retriever in the vehicle at the time. The dog was unharmed and was taken by Summit County Animal Control.

Do you need help with a Colorado DUI?

Legislation drafted to increase the penalty for driving under the influence in California has stalled in committee over anticipated costs associated with the bill. The measure drafted by Assemblyman Jerry Hill would give judges the authority to permanently revoke the driver’s licenses of those convicted of a third DUI offense. It would also allow authorities to review a person’s entire driving history rather than being limited to a 10-year look-back period, and assign jail sentences accordingly.

A consultant has reviewed the bill and estimates it would cost taxpayers at minimum $11 million and potentially as much as $28 million. The bulk of the costs would be associated with the need to expand California’s already crowded prison system. The proposed DUI measure comes at a time when the federal government has ordered California to reduce its prison population. To comply, the state has released inmates incarcerated for lesser crimes, like drug possession, theft and DUI in California.

Under current state law a motorists found guilty of drunk driving in California is subject to a jail sentence, beginning with a first offense. Typically, an offender is offered court ordered treatment programs before being sent to jail. The potential jail term increases with each additional offense within 10 years, and a fourth offense is filed as a felony.

Opponents of the license revocation bill say that it will remove a very influential incentive for drunk driving offenders to enter an alcohol or substance abuse treatment program. Research shows a drop in recidivism for drunk driving when an offender is required to complete a treatment program before being licensed to drive again.

Are you looking for a California DUI Lawyer?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper has printed an article stating that Roswell police on the night shift have been ordered to make a minimum number of GA DUI arrests or face transfer. The paper obtained a memo showing that officers were to meet a goal of 25 arrests for driving under the influence in Georgia each year. Failure to do so would mean reassignment from the overnight shift. The memo also noted that one officer was transferred less than two weeks after failing to meet the quota.

DUI patrol officers receive overtime pay and realize advancement in the department sooner, meaning there is financial incentive and personal motivation to be a part of the shift rotation.

The Roswell Police Department said the Georgia DUI goal was one of several benchmarks used to evaluate officer productivity. The quota however raises the question of falsifying information to justify an arrest. DUI arrests can be initiated based solely on an officer’s assumption of impairment, and not evidence from a breath or blood test.

Arrests for GA DUI in the northern Fulton County/Atlanta area have risen sharply during 2010.

Have you been charged with a Georgia DUI?

Austin Police Department Officer Leonardo Quintana was fired for a January 11 arrest for driving while intoxicated in Texas. Quintana was booked for suspicion of TX DWI following a traffic accident just hours after being deposed in a federal hearing.

Quintana was involved in the fatal shooting of Nathaniel Sanders in August of 2009. Police had information from three individuals that a gold colored Mercedes may be carrying firearms. When the suspected vehicle was spotted in an apartment complex, Quintana went to investigate. Sanders was asleep in the vehicle and reached for a weapon as he was awakened. Sanders and Quintana struggled for control of Sanders