DoorDash Now Delivers Alcohol to Phoenix Arizona Homes

by Aaron M. Black • September 30, 2021

Alcohol DeliveryNecessity may be the mother of invention but desire delivers door to door. DoorDash is now taking beer, bourbon, wine and whiskey to homes in Arizona, 19 other states, the District of Columbia, Australia and Canada.

DoorDash has expanded beyond restaurants to ordering from grocers, convenience stores and area retailers. They now join in competition with other alcohol delivers, Drizly, Minibar, Saucey and even some restaurants that deliver spirits with meals.

DoorDash customers enjoy alcoholic beverages with their meals or they can order alcoholic beverages without ordering food.

DoorDash’s new alcohol delivery service in Phoenix, Arizona may save people from driving home while under the influence from an evening out and getting a DUI.

Guarding against minors drinking

Underage DrinkingDoorDash says it has online ordering procedures to ensure the customer is of legal drinking age, which is 21 in Arizona. An app will ask the customer at checkout to verify the birthdate by uploading a government issued photo ID which the driver can see. Other information is blurred out. After the delivery is made, the driver cannot regain access to the identification.

Once the customer’s age verification is entered into the DoorDash system, the customer will not need to go through the verification process again.

DoorDash in June of 2019 began delivering alcohol in Southern California “with plans to expand quickly to other cities,” the company stated in a press release. “Alcohol delivery has been one of our most requested features from DoorDash users.”

Then, in September of 2021, DoorDash announced its expansion into other states, namely Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.

The customer ordering alcohol must be the one who receives it or the order is abandoned. If another person receives the alcoholic order, the “dasher” will ask to verify their age and scan a valid government identification. The same process is used to send a gift to someone else.

A dasher who knowingly provides an alcohol order to an underage customer can be criminally charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor and be fired.

Underage Drinking

Arizona underage related law

Arizona Revised Statute §4-301 states that a social host is not liable for an impaired guest causing damages or harm. The exception is if the social host is serving alcohol to a person who is younger that the legal drinking age.

Arizona Revised Statute §4-244 makes it unlawful to serve, sell or furnish spirituous liquor to a disorderly or obviously intoxicated person. Title 4 of the Arizona Revised Statute §4-311(D) defines an obviously intoxicated person as someone whose faculties are substantially impaired and the physical dysfunction is obvious to a reasonable person.

Arizona, a zero tolerance state, has some of the strictest drinking and driving laws in the nation.

If a DoorDash customer or a guest drink a little too much at home and then get in the car and drives, it is placing themselves and others on Arizona’s roads in danger.

Arizona DUI law for minors

Teenagers from 14 to 17 who are drinking and driving can be convicted of a so-called “baby DUI, which can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony depending upon the facts of the case and if the minor has a previous offense.

The minor need not be driving to be charged. All that is necessary is to be in “actual physical control” of the vehicle. This means that the ignition key is within reach, such as in the ignition or the driver’s pocket.

Minors who have consumed any amount of alcohol can face a Class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious of the misdemeanor violations. The prosecution is not required to prove the minor’s level of the blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). The case will be adjudicated in juvenile court.

If convicted:
  • The minor’s driver’s license can be suspended for as long as two years.
     
  • If the minor has a previous baby DUI conviction, the penalties are more serious.
     
  • If a passenger age 15 or younger was in the vehicle, the charge becomes a far more serious felony.
     
  • If the impaired minor causes injury or death, the parents can be civilly liable for a maximum of $10,000.
     
The only exception for a minor to consume alcohol is if the alcohol was for a medicinal purpose or a religious ceremony.

Arizona DUI law for adults

The baseline BAC for adults is 0.08 percent and the charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor, although a person can be charged with a DUI even below the baseline under Arizona’s slightly impaired law. A DUI charge can be elevated to a felony if the issue at hand involves an aggravated allegation such as causing injury.

Arizona DUI punishments

A first-time Class 1 DUI misdemeanor conviction is punished by a minimum of one day and as many as 10 days in jail and $1,250 in fines and surcharges.

The license to drive can be suspended for 30 days and then a restricted license is issued. An interlocking ignition device (IID) that detects alcohol and prevents the engine from starting must be rented and installed at the defendant’s expense.

Completing an alcohol screening, education and treatment program, again at the defendants’ expense, can be ordered by the judge. The court may also require a period of community service picking up trash and such.

A second DUI conviction brings harsher punishment. If convicted the misdemeanor becomes public record.

Common DUI defenses

Police must have probable cause or a reasonable suspicion that a driver is impaired to stop a vehicle. The officer can make a mistake in conducting the field sobriety test. The breathalyzer test result is faulty. If blood is drawn, it may become tainted from improper storage or handling. In addition, the officer did not advise you of your right to remain silent and to have an attorney during questioning.

Aaron M. Black Law in Phoenix to your defense

If you drive and get pulled over after enjoying a DoorDash delivery, I have extensive experience defending DUI charges. I know that good people can make a mistake and deserve an aggressive defense, challenging the state’s evidence and the procedures the police used, while conducting a thorough independent investigation.

A defendant’s common complaint is that they did not have prompt access to their attorney. That doesn’t happen at Aaron M. Black Law. You will not be handed off to an assistant.

Begin your DUI defense by calling 480-729-1683 at any time day or night, weekends or holidays, and I will respond promptly unless I am at trial or in court. Or use my online contact form.

I defend DUI charges in federal, state, municipal, and justice courts in and adjacent to Maricopa County.
 

About the Author

Aaron Black Phoenix DUI LawyerAaron Black is the founder and sole attorney of the Law Office of Aaron Black. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, his DUI and criminal defense law firm provides legal services to people who have received felony or misdemeanor charges from the state.

Aaron has developed a strong interest in defending people who have been arrested and received criminal charges for driving under the influence. With his professionalism and knowledge of Arizona DUI and criminal law, he has acted as a check and balance on the police, prosecution and courts and has protected a great number of his clients from excessive and unfair sentencing.

Along with DUI defense, Aaron handles a range of other criminal defense matters, including aggravated assault, burglary, domestic violence, drug possession, drug trafficking, fraud defense, insurance fraud, sex crimes, and white-collar crime cases.

After graduating college in 2003 from the University of Arizona, Aaron decided to pursue a law degree. He followed a family long tradition and went to the University of South Dakota School of Law where he pursued his goal of becoming a criminal defense lawyer.

After passing the Arizona and South Dakota bar exams, Aaron joined the Maricopa County Office of the Public Defender where he defended hundreds of people charged with serious criminal offenses. His work as a public defender helped him sharpen his litigation skills and gave him a unique insight into the Arizona criminal justice system.

Over the course of his 15-year legal career, Aaron has spent a considerable amount of time in both Arizona justice, municipal, state and federal courts. He has argued over 50 jury trials, tried over 100 bench trials and has become one of the highest-rated criminal and DUI defense attorneys in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. He has received a 10/10 rating from the legal directory Avvo because of his legal background and successful case record. Since 2014, he has received the Super Lawyer rating for his work as a Phoenix DUI Attorney and criminal defense attorney.

You can review Aaron’s Attorney Bio page for more information about his background, education and experience as a Phoenix DUI and criminal defense attorney.
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