DUI Charges
Chandler DUI Defense Attorneys
If you or a loved one is facing drunk driving allegations, contact the aggressive Chandler DUI lawyers at Shell & Nermyr PLLC immediately at 480-775-4800. At our firm, you will be represented directly by a senior trial partner, either Chad Shell or Mark Nermyr. Each partner brings over years of individual courtroom experience to your defense.
Chad and Mark have obtained hundreds of DUI dismissals and acquittals across the East Valley over the past decades. When facing intense police scrutiny, you need an aggressive criminal defense firm that local Chandler prosecutors and judges respect. When you hire our team, your partner attorney will give you their personal cell phone number so that you can contact or text them at any time with any question at 602-284-0247.
Evening and weekend appointments are available at our Chandler office, and Shell & Nermyr PLLC offers flexible payment plans in most cases.
Facing DUI Charges in Chandler, AZ?
In Arizona, a person can be charged with a DUI for alcohol, prescription medication, or illegal drugs. Arizona maintains some of the strictest drunk driving laws in the nation, making DUI defense a highly technical field that requires decades of local courtroom experience to navigate successfully.
Chad Shell and Mark Nermyr have both been defending people charged with DUIs in Maricopa County for over 30 years. You can put our trial experience on your side by calling 480-775-4800 or texting 602-284-0247. Shell & Nermyr PLLC will not take your money or your case unless we truly believe we can make a difference in the outcome.
Arizona Alcohol DUI Levels & Mandatory Penalties
Standard DUI (Impaired to the Slightest Degree)
A motorist can be charged with driving under the influence in Arizona even if their Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is below the legal limit of .08. If local law enforcement can argue that your ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired to the “slightest degree” by alcohol, you can be convicted. This is often the primary charge cited on a ticket.
- Minimum Penalties: 10 days in jail, approximately $1,800 in fines and fees, mandatory alcohol education classes, and a certified ignition interlock device (IID) installed on your vehicle for one year.
- Maximum Penalties: Up to 180 days in jail, $3,500 in fines, and up to 5 years of probation. Penalties scale drastically higher for a second-offense DUI in Chandler.
.08 BAC DUI
In Chandler and throughout Arizona, a person is automatically charged with a DUI if they operate a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or higher. To collect this evidence, officers from the Chandler Police Department or Arizona DPS will demand a breath or blood sample. If your test results fall between .08 and .149, you face this charge.
- Minimum Penalties: 10 days in jail (with potential home detention eligibility), roughly $1,800 in statutory fines, substance abuse screening, and a 12-month ignition interlock requirement. Maximum sentences max out at 6 months in jail and $3,500 in fines.
.15 BAC DUI (Extreme DUI)
If an Arizona chemical test reveals an alcohol concentration between .15 and .199, the state elevates the charge to an Extreme DUI.
- Minimum Penalties: A mandatory 30 consecutive days in jail, approximately $3,000 in assessment fines, alcohol classes, and a 12-month ignition interlock restriction.
- Maximum Penalties: Up to 180 days in jail and $4,500 in total fines.
.20 BAC DUI (Super Extreme DUI)
Drivers testing at a BAC of .20 or higher face Super Extreme DUI charges under Arizona law.
- Minimum Penalties: A mandatory 45 consecutive days in jail, upwards of $4,000 in structural fines, mandatory screening, and a one-year ignition interlock device requirement.
- Maximum Penalties: Up to 6 months in jail, $5,500 in court fines, and extended probation.
DUI Drugs (A3 Medical or Illegal Substance DUI)
An “A3” or drug-related DUI is exceptionally common in modern East Valley traffic stops. Arizona splits these cases into prescription drug DUIs and illegal drug DUIs. If you hold a valid, lawful prescription for the medication in your system, we can leverage an affirmative defense to pursue a dismissal or acquittal. However, if the drug is illicit or you lack a valid prescription, you face the exact same severe, mandatory penalties tied to a standard .08 alcohol DUI.
Aggravated DUI (Felony DUI)
Arizona elevates a misdemeanor DUI to a Class 4 Felony Aggravated DUI under specific circumstances: if your license was suspended or revoked at the time of driving, or if it marks your third DUI offense within a rolling 84-month (7-year) window.
- Penalties: A felony conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four months in the Arizona Department of Corrections (prison), followed by supervised probation. The maximum statutory penalty tops out at 3.75 years in prison.
Beating DUI Charges in Chandler & East Valley Courts
DUI cases are highly technical scientific battles, closely mirroring DNA litigation. The analytical science behind blood-alcohol metrics is constantly vulnerable to procedural errors when challenged by a veteran defense team. While select jurisdictions across Arizona still utilize the Intoxilyzer 8000 for breath tests, the vast majority of local law enforcement agencies rely on gas chromatography to analyze blood draws. While experts agree blood tests are technically more precise than breath screeners, neither testing process is infallible.
It is critical to hire a local criminal defense firm with decades of practical experience to aggressively challenge lab testing contamination and chain-of-custody errors. The trial attorneys at Shell & Nermyr PLLC are highly respected inside every municipal prosecutor’s office and justice court across the East Valley. Our professional reputation directly influences how prosecutors negotiate and resolve your case.
Our legal team has secured numerous dismissals by filing targeted motions to suppress state evidence. Police officers cannot randomly pull your vehicle over; they must establish reasonable suspicion to execute a traffic stop. Our attorneys have successfully exposed flawed officer justifications for traffic stops, getting the resulting evidence thrown out and the DUI charges entirely dismissed.
Furthermore, we routinely challenge the “driving” aspect of the case. If the police respond to a collision or find a motorist asleep in a parked car, they often cannot legally prove who was in actual physical control of the vehicle. It takes a seasoned trial attorney to successfully wield these evidentiary gaps during court negotiations and jury trials.
Experienced and Aggressive East Valley DUI Representation
Many inexperienced or high-volume law firms simply go through the motions, rushing their clients to accept an immediate guilty plea. At Shell & Nermyr PLLC, we operate differently. We refuse to take your money or agree to representation unless we identify an actionable strategy to protect your record. Our partners will aggressively defend your rights using our combined decades of trial experience.
Navigating Arizona MVD License Consequences
A DUI arrest triggers an immediate civil administrative track with the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), completely separate from your criminal court dates. A DUI conviction automatically assesses eight points against your Arizona driver’s license and requires mandatory attendance at Traffic Survival School (TSS).
Additionally, you face an automatic 90-day administrative suspension of your driving privileges. If your case is contested properly by an experienced attorney, we can often secure an MVD restricted permit allowing you to drive to work, school, and medical appointments after the first 30 days. If handled incorrectly, you risk a total, un-restricted 90-day suspension and costly long-term penalties like mandatory SR-22 high-risk insurance tracking. The defense attorneys at Shell & Nermyr PLLC handle both your MVD administrative hearing and your criminal court case, fighting aggressively to protect your driver’s license.
480-775-4800