It's not safe to be on the road in Arizona. And it's not just because of the drunk drivers, speeding teens, or bumpy roads — although none of that helps. No — these days, just getting behind the wheel might get you arrested.

New Times columnist Sarah Fenske has chronicled a series of disturbing cases in which Valley residents have been arrested for drunk driving, despite being well under the legal limit. In others, drivers have been blamed for causing car accidents even though they were sober and the other driver was drunk. Prosecutors and cops try to write this off as being tough on crime. But you only have to read these stories to realize it's not the criminals getting a hard rap: It's people like us, people who are just trying to get home at night when they end up in a nightmare.

Stories found
  1. Fenske
    He wasn’t driving drunk, he didn’t hit anyone, but he might still go to jail
    Published: July 10, 2008
  2. Fenske
    Heather Squires was arrested for DUI without drinking a drop of alcohol
    Published: May 29, 2008
  3. Fenske
    Prosecutors suggest charges for other driver in the Bryant Wilkerson case
    A follow-up to the column of January 24, 2008
    Published: May 01, 2008
  4. Fenske
    It took less than one drink to get Shannon Wilcutt busted for felony DUI
    Published: March 20, 2008
  5. Fenske
    Guess which driver's facing 21 years in prison — the drunk, rich, white one or the sober, poor, black one?
    The life-changing circumstances of the Bryant Wilkerson case
    Published: January 24, 2008
for free stuff, news info & more!

From the Print Edition

The Life of a State: A Timeline of Arizona's History The Life of a State: A Timeline of Arizona's History
By Paul Rubin and Amy Silverman

Long before we were officially a state, Arizona was making history — and not all of it bad, though some of it certainly borders on the unbelievable. In 1910, a… More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, February 9th, 2011

PRINCESS VICTORIA Victoria herself responds: Most interesting thing to me is that [inside the article] in an Arizona paper, the close-up photo of my ukelele case (with a bumper sticker that… More >>

Ask a Mexican on Ron Paul and Science Fiction
By Gustavo Arellano

My family for six generations have been born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. Everyone speaks Spanish most of the time. Right now, almost every Republican in the state is trying… More >>

Businessman Brian Weymouth Gets on the Wrong Side of His Celebrity Partners Businessman Brian Weymouth Gets on the Wrong Side of His Celebrity Partners
By Paul Rubin

To get on the bad side of Hall of Fame rocker Alice Cooper, Mexican boxing idol Julio Cesar Chavez, and a man who scaled Mount Everest takes some doing. But Brian… More >>

Super Bowl Prostitution Hoax: Indianapolis Mobilizes for an Epic Battle with an Urban Legend Super Bowl Prostitution Hoax: Indianapolis Mobilizes for an Epic Battle with an Urban Legend
By Pete Kotz

Indianapolis is bracing for war. It's Super Bowl week, after all. Time for the Annual Invasion of the Hookers, which promises to be as harrowing as the Ottoman Empire's advance… More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, February 2nd, 2011

GET OUT THE VOTE Thanks for the hope and inspiration: Great piece! As an old student activist (and former member of the Maricopa County Community College District governing board), I'm proud… More >>

Ask a Mexican on Ethnocentric Idiocy and Etymology
By Gustavo Arellano

My cousin had put a picture on Facebook that said, "I will not be forced to learn a foreign language to accommodate illegals in my country." He's Mexican-American. Our family… More >>

Victoria Jackson Goes From Comedy Heights to Being the Tea Party's Princess Victoria Jackson Goes From Comedy Heights to Being the Tea Party's Princess
By Gus Garcia-Roberts

Victoria Jackson hurtles through intersections and down side streets while using her left hand to hold a Flip cam to her face. The inside of her car ­— a weathered… More >>

Richard Carmona Promises AZ Dems a U.S. Senate Seat Richard Carmona Promises AZ Dems a U.S. Senate Seat
By Stephen Lemons

The big-applause lines from former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona's address at Democrats' recent winter meeting in Tucson conveyed two important messages: He can beat Republican Congressman Jeff Flake in a… More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, January 26th, 2011

DIRTY JOE A culture of corruption: This is a great article with plenty of historical perspective on the culture of corruption that is Joe Arpaio's Maricopa County ("Coddling Joe," Michael Lacey,… More >>

Find A Coupon

Popular Coupons

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Discover restaurants, nightlife, travel, shopping...

  • VOICE Daily Deals

    VOICE Daily Deals

    Get 50 to 90% off every day on restaurants, movies, massages...

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    More than 10,000 of the BEST things to eat, drink, and experience

  • My Voice Nation

    My Voice Nation

    Join the Village Voice community and get exclusive deals and info

  • Happy Hour

    Happy Hour

    Your local Happy Hour guide at your fingertips

or

Log in or Sign up

Social Connect:

Use your favorite account to access My Voice Nation.


Use your My Voice Nation account to log in:





Forgot password?
or

Sign Up or Log in

Social Connect:

Sign up for My Voice Nation with your preferred network.


Sign up for a My Voice Nation account:



Privacy policy