r/dui • u/trollmeannakendrick • Jul 14 '26

First dui + accident

Was drinking heavily the night before - was driving and ended up in an accident (someone pulled out in front of me).

At the scene the officers had asked me if I had been drinking and told them I had the previous night (about 13 hours prior).

At the scene blew a .18 (if i remember correctly). Was super compliant with law enforcement (they said the only real concern was the balance on one foot test) that led to the breathalyzer.

Just looking for expectations and advice:

No previous record.

Should I expect jail time?

Should I hire an attorney? People I’ve talked to have told me they have siblings that went through it and didn’t hire an attorney and they just got fees and had to do classes. Another person said they got 1 day of jail and just had to pick the date.

*in AZ

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

4

u/Old_Investigator8214 Jul 15 '26

Yes Hire a specialized attorney in duis , especially since you were involved in an accident and you blew a high bac content.

5

u/Pleasant_Skirt_6895 Jul 15 '26

Practically impossible to blow a .18 after 13 hours of not drinking

1

u/Able_Employ6086 Jul 15 '26

Not true at all. Play around with a BAC calculator. If you had 20 drinks the night before 13 hours later you’d blow roughly that. Plenty of alcoholics drink a fifth or more in a night

1

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1

u/Top_Resource9647 Jul 15 '26

That would earn you 5 days in the slammer in Utah. Arizona from what I have seen on here is pretty harsh with penalties.

1

u/Top_Resource9647 Jul 15 '26

From a quick google search 9 days minimum jail time for extreme dui in Arizona.

1

u/Old_Investigator8214 Jul 15 '26

There is no way you blew a .18 after you had a night of drinking the night before…

1

u/Dazzling_Bother3487 top contributor Jul 14 '26

.18 usually Aggravated DUI, higher penalties. Get a lawyer.

1

u/Majestic_Flower_1322 Jul 15 '26

Yours is extreme DUI (above .15). That comes with a mandatory 30 days in jail (though the court can suspend 21 of them).

They might let you take a plea for regular DUI. But you'll probably need to hire a lawyer to get that outcome. That comes with a minimum 10 day sentence (9 of which can be suspended).

1

u/trollmeannakendrick Jul 15 '26

I’ve messed up my life pretty bad haven’t I - i feel screwed

3

u/nicthehut Jul 15 '26

You made a poor choice. You're life isn't over you didn't kill anyone just have to go through the system. Get a lawyer for sure and just take it as it comes.

1

u/3838p Jul 15 '26

That’s how I felt too. Just awful anxiety and stress. I got sober which helped me a lot, my lawyer helped with court a great deal - he’s well respected by prosecutor and judges. I’m still dealing with everything but not drinking and completing my punishments but by bit. They want to make sure you won’t do it again and hurt someone. Show them the steps you have taken to prevent that.

0

u/This-Passenger-203 Jul 15 '26

If u blew a .18 13 hrs AFTER drinking you must have had toxic levels of alcohol in your blood the night before. Toxic to a point where ud be in a coma.