Beginning on last Dec. 31, Arizona took a step back in protecting the legal rights of its residents. Apparently for the sake of efficiency regarding time and money, the state decided to limit the rights of DUI defendants whose names and freedoms are at stake after a first-time DUI arrest.

Gov. Jan Brewer approved the idea to take away the given that all DUI defendants get the right to a trial by jury. State statute was changed to allow a jury trial to only those defendants in DUI cases who have had prior related convictions. Could that change in law soon be reversed?

According to reports, the state House Judiciary Committee met last week and took a vote on the controversial law change. The committee voted unanimously to do away with the change and to even take the step of retroactively addressing the problem, meaning that those first-time DUI suspects who've been denied a jury trial since Dec. 31 would get another chance at that right.

Limiting first-time DUI defendants' legal rights treats them and their futures as though they are less important than repeat offenders. But a first offense DUI can be a serious incident in the lives of many defendants. In Arizona, a first-time conviction of DUI can put someone in jail for six months. If having a jury hear a case could mitigate that seriousness and lead to more objective sentencing, why should a repeat offender be given that privilege but not a first-time defendant?

We will post an update if there is a development in this matter.

Source

Thenewspaper.com: "Arizona Considers Restoring Jury Trials for DUI," Feb. 20, 2012