A two-count DUI bundle at Mesa Municipal Court (DUI Slightest Degree plus DUI Drugs/Metabolite) carried stacked DUI exposure with two permanent DUI convictions on the record. Future First got the alcohol DUI count dismissed, resolved the case to a single DUI Drugs count, avoided the IID, got the screening fee waived, and reduced jail costs.
At a glance
| Court | Mesa Municipal Court |
| Original charges | DUI Impaired to the Slightest Degree (ARS § 28-1381(A)(1)), Class 1 Misdemeanor; DUI with a Drug Listed in ARS § 13-3401 or its Metabolite (ARS § 28-1381(A)(3)), Class 1 Misdemeanor |
| Presumptive exposure | 10 consecutive days jail under ARS § 28-1381(I) with up to 9 suspendable on counseling, a 12-month judge-ordered ignition interlock device, base fines starting at $1,250 per count plus 84 percent surcharges and assessments totaling over $2,000 per count, MADD Victim Impact Panel, supervised probation up to five years, mandatory alcohol and drug screening and treatment, automatic driver license suspension, significant insurance rate increases, a three-year arrest record sealing wait under ARS § 13-911 measured from IID removal, and two permanent DUI convictions on the record. The drug-DUI count adds federal immigration exposure for non-citizens |
| Result | State dismissed the DUI Slightest Degree count; case amended to single Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI Drugs/Metabolite count under ARS § 28-1381(A)(3); 1 day jail with 9 days suspended on counseling completion; substance abuse screening and counseling completed with the screening fee waived; $1,557 fines plus reduced $250 in jail costs; judge ordered no IID |
| Eligibility for set aside | 2025 upon counseling completion and fine payment under ARS § 13-905 |
| Eligibility for sealing | Approximately 2028 under ARS § 13-911, three years after punishment completion, with no IID-removal date to wait for |
The stakes
The client faced two Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI counts in Mesa Municipal Court: DUI Slightest Degree under ARS § 28-1381(A)(1) and DUI with a Drug or its Metabolite under ARS § 28-1381(A)(3). Two stacked C1M DUI convictions would have meant 10 consecutive days jail under ARS § 28-1381(I) with up to 9 suspendable on counseling, a 12-month judge-ordered ignition interlock device, base fines starting at $1,250 per count plus 84 percent surcharges and assessments totaling over $2,000 per count, MADD Victim Impact Panel, supervised probation up to five years, mandatory alcohol and drug screening and treatment, automatic driver license suspension, significant insurance rate increases, a three-year arrest record sealing wait under ARS § 13-911 measured from IID removal, and two permanent DUI convictions on the record.
What we did
Future First negotiated the case down from a two-count DUI bundle to a single Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI Drugs/Metabolite count under ARS § 28-1381(A)(3). The DUI Slightest Degree count was dismissed. The client served 1 day jail with 9 days suspended on counseling completion, completed substance abuse screening and counseling with the screening fee waived, paid $1,557 in fines plus a reduced $250 in jail costs, and the judge ordered no IID. Set aside under ARS § 13-905 available 2025 upon counseling completion and fine payment. Arrest record sealing under ARS § 13-911 eligible approximately 2028, three years after punishment completion, with no IID-removal date to wait for.
What our clients say
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If you’re facing alcohol plus drug DUI charges in Arizona
Screening fee waivers are an underused mitigation tool on DUI cases. Court-ordered alcohol or substance abuse screening typically runs $200 to $400 in provider fees on top of the fine package. When defense counsel documents financial hardship at sentencing, some judges will waive the screening fee entirely, which combined with reduced jail costs can save the client $500 to $1,000 in out-of-pocket sentencing costs.
The no-IID outcome on a DUI Drugs/Metabolite plea is rare. The judge-ordered IID is typically a fixed condition on every DUI conviction under ARS § 28-1381. When the court agrees to omit the IID, the client avoids 12 months of device fees, removes the parallel MVD reporting period, and accelerates the sealing-clock math because there is no IID-removal date to wait for.
Future First Criminal Law has handled alcohol-plus-drug DUI cases across Maricopa County and Arizona. We know how Mesa Municipal Court evaluates count-dismissal plus fee-waiver structures.
Related resources
- Arizona DUI defense — full overview of how we handle every tier of DUI charge
- Set aside and sealing in Arizona — how to clean up your record after a DUI conviction
Call us
Facing alcohol-plus-drug DUI charges in Arizona? Call Future First Criminal Law at 602-932-7890 or request a free consultation. We have handled hundreds of Arizona DUI cases. The earlier we are involved, the more options you have.
Anonymized in line with firm policy. Client name not used. Specific dates approximated to year only. Outcome described reflects this client’s actual results. Past outcomes do not guarantee future results. For more detailed information on Arizona DUI law, visit the Arizona State Legislature website.