Local lawyers fight back against new license plate law

The new law that requires "Arizona" on license plates to be visible has prompted one Ahwatukee Foothills attorney to fight back.
"This is just another excuse to pull people over for absolutely no reason," said criminal defense attorney Michael Urbano.

The law was passed by legislators in 2006 but doesn't go into effect until Jan. 1. The delay was intended so that motorists and license-frame manufactures had plenty of time to change the design to make sure the state was visible.

Based on informal surveys of license plates in the Ahwatukee Foothills area, it would appear that most local motorists have missed the news. In fact, many motorists were blind-sided when news reports began to circulate last month about the law and the average $135 fine for obstructing our state name at the top of the plate.

Urbano said that police will use a license frame that obscures the plate to justify pulling vehicles over just to see if something fishy is happening.

"In Ahwatukee Foothills it's, let's see if they have been drinking," he said.

Urbano and his partner, William Morris, plan to help motorists by offering to make adjustments to the license or frame Saturday from 10 a.m. -  4 p.m. in the parking lot at Fry's at 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard. They also plan to conduct a second workshop at the same time and location on Jan. 3.

Urbano said he's not sure exactly how they will try to make frames and licenses legal, maybe by elongating the holes at the top to drop the plate down, maybe by trimming some of the frame.

But whatever the solution, the lawyers' intent is to make license plates legal so the police won't have an excuse to pull a motorist over.

"We're just helping the new law," said Urbano.

The Law Offices of Michael A. Urbano are located at 3310 East Ashurst Drive, Suite 101, in Ahwatukee Foothills. Contact Urbano at www.urbanolaw.com or (480) 759-0035.