Are You Visiting Phoenix for the Super Bowl or Phoenix Open? Be DUI and Trafficking Aware

Simultaneous Phoenix Opens and Super Bowls are not unheard of in the Phoenix Metro Area. The Super Bowl has been in the Phoenix metro area three times in the past 30 years – ’96 at Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium and ’08 and ’15 at State Farm Stadium (at the time, University of Phoenix Stadium) in Glendale. 

All three years the two events overlapped. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is particularly highly attended by residents of the Phoenix metro area, but both events are a magnet for tens of thousands of out-of-town visitors to the metro area. (The Waste Management Open allegedly has the highest attendance of any golf tournament in the world with an estimated 700,000 guests).

The Super Bowl isn’t exactly synonymous with sobriety, but the Phoenix Open especially has a reputation for being a multi-day party that also features a PGA tournament.

In 2008 and 2017 there were a spate of news stories and press releases about Glendale and Scottsdale PD responses to both events. Scottsdale Police has put together a special DUI task force specifically to deal with what’s expected to be an extremely high volume of drunk driving on their streets.

The truly dark underside of the Super Bowl isn’t necessarily increased drunk driving rates – it is an inextricable link to human trafficking. Trafficking is a concern with nearly all large, destination sporting events, and the Super Bowl and Phoenix Open are no exceptions.

The bottom line is a lot of people, many of whom will be from out of town, are going to be pulled over or arrested for crimes ranging from drunk driving and solicitation to drug and human trafficking from February 9 to February 12, 2023.

Many individuals are going to have to deal with the unique hassle of not only Arizona’s extraordinarily harsh DUI penalties but also traveling back to Arizona to defend themselves or serve their time (which is essentially mandatory in this state for DUI offenders).

If you’re heading to Phoenix, Scottsdale or Glendale for this unique alignment of huge sporting events, you should strongly consider learning about Arizona DUI laws and increased law enforcement vigilance as it pertains to drug trafficking, sex trafficking and solicitation. 

Should You Refuse a Breathalyzer or blood test if You’re Pulled Over and Arrested for DUI While Visiting Arizona for the Super Bowl or WM Phoenix Open?

You’ll suffer serious consequences for refusing the breathalyzer or blood test after you are arrested, even if you aren’t intoxicated at the time of your stop. You have a right to refuse the portable breathalyzer at the roadside and you should exercise that right. You also have a right to refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or blood test after you are arrested but you’ve also tacitly consented to taking the breathalyzer simply by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle in the state of Arizona (ARS 28-1321).

Arizona is not the only state to use an implied consent law, but the penalty for refusing the breathalyzer or blood test after your arrest an be fairly harsh (automatic license suspension for a minimum of a year simply by refusing to take the breathalyzer).

Out-of-state drivers in Arizona be warned – you could face a license suspension in your state of residence even if you don’t carry an AZ license.

Arizona will share this information with your home state MVD through the interstate compact. Your state’s MVD will do one of three things:

·       Take no action against your driving privilege

·       Mirror the 12-month suspension imposed in AZ

·       Take even more severe action against your driving privilege

This will be up to your state of residence – not Arizona – but there’s no guarantee it will go unnoticed or unaddressed.

You can learn more about Arizona’s implied consent statute on our recent blog on the topic.

Does Arizona Really Have the Harshest DUI Laws?

Do a quick search online for “states with the harshest DUI penalties” and you’ll find Arizona ranks highest in DUI penalties – specifically as it pertains to first-time DUI offenders. Arizona was the first state to implement automatic mandatory interlock devices (which you’ll have to pay for out of your own pocket) for first-time DUI offenders. First-time DUI convictions can also result in a mandatory 10 days in an Arizona jail.

Getting a DUI is usually considered a serious infraction regardless of which state you live in – but Arizona has taken particularly harsh steps to curtail drunk driving.

If you’re visiting Arizona for the Phoenix Open or Super Bowl – or you’re an Arizona resident who isn’t clear on sentencing guidelines for drunk driving convictions – you should read our blog on the topic.

Sex Traffic Enforcement During Super Bowl and the Phoenix Open

Multiple groups have brought attention to the risk for increased human trafficking during the upcoming Super Bowl in Glendale, but even organizations committed to stamping out human slavery can’t say definitively how much the Super Bowl boosts trafficking in the host city.

What visitors to Arizona should be aware of is the vigilance of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Glendale police departments. They have undercovers out in the streets and are regularly identifying potential victims and perpetrators. There’s a steady stream of news stories in the Phoenix press about busts of traffickers in the state of Arizona and a recent sting on men (43 in all) soliciting sex acts at an illicit massage parlor.

A significant partnership between local law enforcement and hospitality businesses will be leveraged to go after both traffickers and their clientele during the upcoming Super Bowl and WM Open. Visitors to Arizona should be forewarned that many area hotels are training staff to spot signs of trafficking and illicit behavior with strict instructions to contact Phoenix police if suspicions arise.

Have You Been Arrested in Arizona for Solicitation, Trafficking or DUI?

Attorney Michael Alarid III is one of only two attorneys in the state of Arizona, and the only attorney in Maricopa County, who has been both Board-Certified in DUI defense through the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and a Board-Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona. He also has extensive experience defending people in cases ranging from solicitation to sex crimes and drug trafficking. Criminal defense lawyer Michael Alarid understands local county and federal courts, judges and relevant statutes and tirelessly advocates for his clients.

If you’ve been arrested in Arizona, whether you were attending the Super Bowl, Phoenix Open or are simply a resident of the Phoenix metro area, Michael Alarid is here to fight for you. Call 602.818.3110 for a consultation.