Police in Scottsdale arrested Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker for “Super Extreme DUI” back in May. The sports media apparently just found out–about the arrest and the existence of a charge called “Super Extreme DUI.”
The Arizona arrest came long before Tucker signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal with the team. The news conveniently comes days after the deal. The forward posted good but not super extreme numbers for Phoenix this past season. He averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He blew a .201 on the breathalyzer (just barely “super extreme”) but later registered a .222 (comfortably “super extreme”) on a blood test.
If .20 elicits the “Super Extreme DUI” designation, what label does Arizona reserve for drivers such as the Rhode Island chef who blew a .491 a few years back? “Super Duper Ultra Extreme DUI”?
The police reported in Tucker “thick and slurred” speech, “powerful” smells, and “watery and bloodshot” eyeballs. In this condition, he apparently read a stop sign as a “slow” sign, which led the cops to pull over his Mercedes Benz. Tucker, like so many before him, reportedly told the police he had downed just one beer. What size?
Fear not, Mr. Tucker. The Arizona DUI Defense Blog reports, “Simply being charged with ‘Super Extreme DUI’ does not mean you will be convicted of ‘Super Extreme DUI.’ While prosecutors tend to offer extended periods of jail on these cases, that does not mean a reduction (or even dismissal) is not possible. There are several factors that need to be examined: (1) How far above a .200 is the test result? (2) Were there any problems with the blood testing process? (3) How bad was the driving prior to the traffic stop? (4) Is there a disconnect between how the person was acting and the test result? and (5) Are there any procedural or constitutional violations?”
The legal site calls Super Extreme DUI convictions, like the label itself, “truly unique.”
Photo credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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