The Arizona DUI court process moves through these stages:
- Initial appearance — within 24 hours of arrest. Conditions of release set.
- Arraignment — formal charging; plea entered.
- Pretrial conferences — discovery, plea negotiations, status updates.
- Motions hearings — suppression, in limine, motions to compel. This is where most cases are won or lost.
- Trial — bench or jury, depending on the charge.
Most first-offense Arizona DUI cases resolve in 4 to 8 months. Extreme and felony cases run longer.
Are field sobriety tests mandatory?
No. The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand are voluntary in Arizona. Declining them is not itself evidence of guilt, though the officer may use the refusal alongside other observations to support probable cause for arrest. NHTSA validation studies apply only under specific administration conditions; deviations degrade reliability.
If this is your situation, time matters.
The MVD 30-day clock and the suppression-motion window run from the date of the stop — not the date you find a lawyer. Call 480 · 945 · 7684 or schedule a consultation.
If this is your situation, time matters.
The MVD 30-day clock and the suppression-motion window run from the date of the stop — not the date you find a lawyer. Call now.