DUI defense attorney concerned about drinking among Cactus League fans

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — An East Valley attorney says he’s getting a lot of calls from Cactus League fans who are paying the price for having too much “fun” at the old ballpark.

The vendors in the stands at Cactus League games are selling a lot of ice-cold beer. DUI Defense Attorney Craig Rosenstein said police are aware of that, which is why cops are spending time at ballparks looking for drivers who have had a few too many.

“Just like the bar district on a Friday or Saturday night, you’re going to see more officers in and around the stadium when the goons are getting out around the seventh inning just to see if there’s people driving after consuming too much alcohol,” he said.

Based on the number of calls Rosenstein is getting, police are finding those people — and fans of two teams in particular are getting caught more often than others.

“The Chicago Cubs have by far the biggest amount of DUIs that come out of their games,” he said. “The San Francisco Giants are a close second.”

Rosenstein said his evidence is “anecdotal” and based solely on the calls his office has received, but he is concerned that fans from out of state may not be aware about the strictness of Arizona’s DUI laws and how an arrest here might affect them after they return to their home state.

“We don’t want people having to go back to their home states after having done jail time and paying thousands of dollars in fines, and then having to install an ignition interlock in their car,” he said.

If someone convicted of DUI in Arizona is required to install such a device, it must remain in their car once they return home, even if that state doesn’t require such devices, according to Rosenstein.

“Take a cab, use a designated drive, use Uber. Do that which is necessary in order to not get a DUI during these spring training games,” he said.