Arizona’s citizens and communities continue to pay a high price for impaired driving as officials pursue ways to hold offenders accountable. One piece of addressing the problem is the Arizona Supreme Court’s participation in the statewide electronic search warrant program for vehicular offenses, made possible with a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
The Impaired Driving Program looks to reduce alcohol and drug-related deaths and injuries by increasing enforcement, education, and public awareness. The Superior Court in Maricopa County authorizes electronic search warrants to law enforcement statewide through an online warrant program for blood draws on individuals suspected of driving under the influence.
The original initiative was piloted with 24 police departments and is now available to all law enforcement. In the last year, participation has increased from 65 to 85 agencies, and 8,970 active users across the state.
Under the program, search warrants and affidavits are exchanged electronically and securely between law enforcement and the Maricopa County Superior Court’s Initial Appearance court, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Faster warrants result in faster, more accurate test results – improving public safety by holding violators accountable.
The electronic search warrant part of the Impaired Driving Program applies to the vehicular offenses of: Driving under the influence, vehicle-related homicide, vehicle-related aggravated assault, vehicle-related endangerment, and other vehicle-related offenses.
