The paperwork you were handed after a Scottsdale DUI arrest has a court date on it, and almost nobody knows what happens when they walk in.
The short answer is that very little happens, and that is the point. An arraignment is a procedural step, not a trial. Understanding that in advance prevents the most damaging mistake at this stage: trying to resolve the case on the first day.
What an Arraignment Actually Is
At arraignment, the court formally advises you of the charges, confirms your identity and contact information, addresses release conditions, and takes your plea. That is the whole proceeding, and it usually takes a few minutes.
You are not presenting a defense. The judge is not weighing evidence. The prosecutor is not evaluating whether the stop was lawful. None of the material that will actually decide the case has been produced yet.
Misdemeanor DUI charges arising in Scottsdale are typically handled in Scottsdale City Court. Felony charges—including aggravated DUI—go to Maricopa County Superior Court, where the process differs, and the stakes are considerably higher.
What to Plead
Almost always, not guilty.
A not guilty plea at arraignment costs nothing and preserves everything. It does not signal that you deny responsibility or refuse to resolve the case. It simply means the case proceeds to the stage where your attorney can obtain the evidence.
At The Attorney Josh, we see this weekly. Pleading guilty at arraignment means accepting a conviction before anyone has reviewed the breath-instrument calibration records, the officer’s certification, the body camera footage, or the basis for the stop. People do it every week, usually because they want the matter over with, and they give up defenses they never knew existed.
Once a guilty plea is entered and accepted, withdrawing it is difficult and often impossible.
What You Are Facing
Arizona DUI penalties are among the strictest in the country, and they are driven by blood alcohol concentration.
Standard DUI
A first offense at or above the legal limit carries mandatory jail time, substantial fines and assessments, license consequences, an alcohol screening, any recommended education or treatment, and a certified ignition interlock device.
A portion of the mandatory jail time can often be suspended if the driver completes screening and treatment, which is one reason getting the assessment underway early matters.
Extreme and Super Extreme DUI
Arizona escalates by concentration. Extreme DUI applies at a higher threshold and Super Extreme higher still, and each carries substantially longer mandatory jail and larger fines than a standard DUI.
This is why the number on the report matters so much, and why challenging how it was produced is often at the center of the defense.
Aggravated DUI
A DUI becomes a felony in defined circumstances — driving on a suspended or revoked license, a third offense within the statutory period, a passenger under fifteen in the vehicle, or driving in violation of an interlock requirement.
Felony exposure includes prison rather than jail, and a felony conviction carries consequences reaching far beyond the case.
The Separate License Case
A DUI arrest in Arizona also triggers an administrative action against your driving privilege through the Motor Vehicle Division, and it runs on its own timetable.
There is a limited window to request an MVD hearing. Miss it and the suspension proceeds without any opportunity to contest it. This is the deadline people most often overlook because they are focused on the criminal court date printed on their paperwork.
Refusing a chemical test triggers a longer suspension under Arizona’s implied consent law, imposed regardless of the outcome of the criminal case.
What Happens After Arraignment
- Your attorney requests discovery — reports, video, testing records, and maintenance logs.
- Pretrial conferences are set, where the case is discussed with the prosecutor.
- Motions are filed to challenge the stop, the testing, or the evidence.
- Plea negotiations occur, informed by what the evidence actually shows.
- If unresolved, the case is set for trial.
Most cases resolve at the pretrial stage, but they resolve on much better terms when the defense has reviewed the evidence and identified problems with it. A negotiation conducted in ignorance is not a negotiation.
Prior Offenses and the Lookback
Arizona counts prior DUI offenses within a statutory period, and a prior changes the case substantially — longer mandatory jail, larger fines, and a longer interlock requirement.
Convictions from other states generally count where the conduct would have been an offense here. People who moved to Arizona after a DUI elsewhere are frequently surprised to find it treated as a prior.
The relevant comparison is the date of the prior offense against the date of the current one, not the current court date. When a prior is alleged, confirming it is properly documented and correctly attributed is a basic step worth taking, rather than assuming the state has it right.
Where Arizona DUI Cases Are Won
The defense rarely rests on whether the driver had been drinking. It rests on whether the state can properly prove the elements.
Common ground includes the basis for the initial stop, whether a checkpoint complied with its requirements, whether field sobriety tests were administered as trained and under adequate conditions, whether the breath instrument was maintained and calibrated according to regulation, whether the operator was certified, whether a blood draw followed proper procedure with an intact chain of custody, and whether rising blood alcohol means the concentration at the time of driving differed from the concentration at the time of testing.
Each depends on records the state must produce, making them verifiable rather than speculative.
Interlock, Screening and the Cost Nobody Mentions
The fine printed on a sentencing sheet is a fraction of what an Arizona DUI actually costs.
A certified ignition interlock device carries installation and monthly monitoring charges for the duration of the requirement. The defendant pays alcohol screening and any recommended education or treatment. Court assessments and surcharges add substantially to the base fine. Insurance costs rise sharply and stay elevated for years.
For drivers who need a work vehicle, the interlock requirement is often the most disruptive consequence. Understanding the full picture early helps you decide whether a case is worth fighting, because people often decide based only on the fine.
Continuous Alcohol Monitoring and Home Detention
Arizona courts allow some jail obligations to be served through alternatives, which can preserve employment.
Home detention and continuous alcohol monitoring are available in defined circumstances, typically requiring a portion of the term to be served in custody first. Work release programs may allow a defendant to continue employment while serving the balance.
Eligibility depends on the offense level, prior history, and the individual court. These options are requested and negotiated, not granted automatically, and a defendant who has already pleaded guilty without raising them has narrowed the possibilities.
Practical Steps Before Your Court Date
- Confirm the date, time, and courtroom, and arrive early.
- Dress as you would for a job interview.
- Bring your paperwork and any documents the court requested.
- Complete an alcohol screening in advance if you can.
- Do not discuss the arrest with anyone but your attorney.
- Check whether your license status has changed before you drive there.
That last point catches people. Driving to court on a suspended license turns one case into two, and it happens often enough that officers watch for it.
If you cannot attend on the scheduled date, do not simply miss it. Failing to appear results in a warrant and, in some cases, an additional charge. Your attorney can usually request a continuance, but it must happen before the date, not after.
If you have a DUI arraignment coming up in Scottsdale, the time between now and that date is the most useful time in the case. Call Attorney Josh, and we will use it.
