Even if you don’t have plans to party this holiday weekend, two or three drinks at a cookout can be just enough to put you over the legal limit. Many people wouldn’t consciously break DUI laws but many people underestimate their intoxication levels when getting behind the wheel.

Saturation Patrols and DUI checkpoints target holiday drinkers on Labor Day and a variety of other popular holidays. Fourth of July, New Years Eve, and Memorial Day Weekend are other big ones. Depending on jurisdiction, many communities involve law enforcement from multiple agencies working together to bust drunk drivers. The federal government regularly provides additional funding to local law enforcement for DUI patrols as part of the national Over the Limit Under Arrest campaign..

Police are always over eager to arrest suspected drunk drivers. This is even truer at checkpoints. Although their main concern is DUI, they will arrest you for license plate violations and warrants at these stops as well. Their overzealous behavior has even been known to cause some arrests of people who haven’t been drinking at all.

In Arizona, DUI laws are designed to protect the roadways, sometimes at the risk of criminalizing people who don’t deserve criminal charges. In other words, these laws are tough. For your first DUI offense you are looking at jail time, fines, probation, and a mandatory ignition interlock device.

An even harsher penalty is reserved for people who have a blood alcohol level of more than .15%. This is nearly twice the legal limit of .08% and though it’s considered a misdemeanor as well, the punishment can be much harsher.

Often the entire case against a suspected drunk driver is based on the results of a breathalyzer test. When this is the case, we can challenge those results in court. They are known to give false readings and officer training can also be a factor.

If you have an otherwise clean record, we may be able to negotiate a positive plea agreement with the prosecution as well.

Knowing your rights when you are facing DUI charges, whether it’s Labor Day or any other day, is critical. That’s what a defense attorney is for. If you’re facing charges like these, contact me today.

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Proposition 203 was placed on the ballot after supporters got 250,000, more than the 150,000 required. Currently, thirteen states have medical marijuana laws and many are looking to put it to a vote come this fall.

The Arizona law would allow only those who have serious illnesses to obtain the drug. According to the State Press, the proposed law dictates exactly which conditions are eligible. Those conditions and diseases include things like HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, cancer, seizures, chronic pain, and persistent muscle spasms. These restriction and explicit limitations would make Arizona’s medical marijuana laws similar to New Jersey‘s, and not so permissive as in California.

In an effort to satisfy opponents and those that question if the proposed legislation could increase crime, a cap would be put on the number of dispensaries. A total of 124 dispensaries would be allowed in the state, one for every 10 pharmacies.

Supporters of medical marijuana range from those who would qualify for its legal use and those who don’t see the harm in the drug at all. Many make a good point when asking what criminalizing marijuana has done for the state and the country—aside from increasing costs exponentially and driving a disastrous drug trade between the U.S. and Mexico.

For those who smoke recreationally and see the medical marijuana issue as a potential precursor to overall legalization—they may be on to something. California will be voting on whether to legalize marijuana this fall and if Californians legalize, it could be a sign of things to come in other states.

However, in the meantime, marijuana is a controlled substance. One for which you can face serious penalties if caught in possession of. Sure, being caught with marijuana isn’t as serious as being caught with heroin, but it is a crime.

For a first time marijuana charge, there’s a good chance you will qualify for deferred prosecution. This means you will be required to serve a period of probation. When completed, your charges are dropped and do not appear on your record.

Although possession of less than two pounds of marijuana is considered a felony, it can often be pled down to a misdemeanor with the help of an attorney. Even when you don’t get a deferred prosecution, there’s a good chance for your first few offenses that you won’t serve jail time at all.

If you’re facing charges of possession of marijuana or possession with intent to distribute—call me today. I can give you some valuable legal advice.

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Arizona became only the second state to allow concealed weapons without a permit. The other state, Vermont, has a very different populous, with Arizona having several major metropolitan areas. The effects of the new law won’t be known for sometime, though gun rights advocates claim it should work to reduce crime.

Former Governor Janet Napolitano reportedly vetoed around 12 different weapons bills during her term. The new Governor, Jan Brewer, is a gun rights advocate, however, so the field changed when she took office in January 2009.

Under the new law, a person can carry a concealed weapon anywhere that an open carry was previously allowed. So, what once had to be carried in plain view, can now be placed in a purse or under the clothing.

According to the Arizona Republic, citizens carrying a weapon must disclose this when asked by police and the police can hold a citizen’s weapon during stops. Finally, the new laws stiffen penalties for crimes committed while in possession of a concealed firearm. In other words, the law will penalize those who use the expanded freedom to break other laws.

Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit used to be a Class 1 Misdemeanor punishable by 6 months in jail. This offense was one of the many ways you could be charged with Misconduct Involving Weapons.

Misconduct involving weapons is a charge that’s applicable under many situations. It can carry up to Class 3 felony penalties of up to 3.5 years in prison. It seems the new laws only affected the concealed weapons aspect of the crime and things like defacing weapons, selling prohibited weapons, and discharging firearms are still considered quite serious offenses.

Gun laws are changing around the country and Arizona is no exception. While some think the new laws will decrease crime, others wonder how hiding weapons benefit anyone. Only time will tell.

Gun charges are taken very seriously in the courts. Although the 2^nd Amendment guarantees your right to bear arms, Arizona makes several regulations regarding this. If you run afoul of any of these laws, you could be facing serious penalties.

If you’re facing charges like misconduct involving weapons, you need an aggressive defense attorney on your side. Contact me today for a consultation on your case and some valuable legal advice.

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Redflex, the company behind the cameras, has until November to finish removing all of the 78 cameras around Arizona. The company states it will keep the cameras up for another month to gather speed information despite the suspended use.

This doesn’t affect those cameras under the varying city programs like Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, and Scottsdale but instead only applies to those under state contract on freeways.

According to this report from The Arizona Republic, the cameras took 2.7 million photos of speeding vehicles since September 2008. Of those, only 16% resulted in paid tickets. All told, the cameras generated $78 million, far short of the $90 million Governor Napolitano estimated they would generate in the first year alone.

Redflex, as expected, is not happy with the decision, claiming public safety will be compromised. Others, however, saw the cameras as an invasion of privacy and are happy to see them go. Republican Senator Sam Crump believed them to be a government abuse of technology.

The cameras have been at the center of several odd and notable stories since their installation, capturing famous people and even resulting in the death of one Redflex worker. A 51 year old employee of the company was killed while working on one of the cameras in April of 2009.

The position of Redflex that speed violators will somehow be uncontrollable now is likely based on their hurt feelings and pocketbooks now that the state’s contract has been allowed to expire. State Highway Patrol will still be catching speed violators and monitoring the roadways as they always have.

Whether you are snapped by a camera or seen by an officer, being stopped for a traffic violation isn’t always as simple as a citation. Offenses like reckless driving for instance, are considered criminal acts and can leave you serving time in jail and paying large fines.

If you are up against criminal misdemeanor reckless driving charges or any traffic incident that could affect your ability to keep your driver’s license, it is worth a conversation with a defense attorney to find out what you can do about it.

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The doctor is facing a slew of charges including: conspiracy, 8 counts of trafficking in the identity of another person, 3 counts of fraud, 68 counts of obtaining a narcotic by fraud, and 9 counts of obtaining a dangerous drug by fraud. These are all very serious charges and should she be convicted, she will likely spend several years in prison.

The three charged with the offense used names belonging to patients and even family members to get prescriptions filled. According to KVOA, the indictment accuses the doctor of “participating in a large scale prescription drug fraud”.

Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem. More and more people are turning their addictions to these types of drugs over the typical cocaine and heroin of decades gone by. It could be because these are highly available and easy to obtain, or because they still don’t have the stigma of other illegal drugs.

However, most of the prescription drugs entering the illegal drug trade enter it through a physician or other medical professional. These professionals are often held in the highest esteem, making it a long and tough fall when they are arrested and charged with drug offenses.

Whether you are talking about prescription drugs or other illegal drugs, it’s important to realize it takes all types. What I mean is, people facing drug charges don’t always look like the junkie on the corner. Doctors, teachers, and business people alike get caught up in the criminal justice system—often on drug charges like these.

If you are charged with possession of narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, or morphine, you could face felony charges and a potential 18 months in prison. However, if this is your first offense, you could qualify for deferred prosecution.

Deferred prosecution is a chance to serve probation before being formally tried. If you are successful on probation, the charges against you will be dropped.

If you’re facing drug charges, you need an aggressive defense attorney on your side. Contact me today to discuss the details of your case and how I can help. I can give you some valuable legal advice.

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Over the past two years, the sheriff has received much criticism for his approach to law enforcement. He considers it his job to stop illegal immigrants in his communities and has directed law enforcement to stop people for nearly any violation if suspected of being in Arizona illegally.

The problem is that the people his department is arresting are rarely guilty of any violent crime, but are still taking resources away from fighting violent crime. Critics point to budget cuts and wonder why the Sheriff insists on continuing the immigration sweeps when there are more serious matters at hand.

This article from The Arizona Republic states that of the 932 arrests his deputies made since March 2008, 708 were people suspected of being in the country illegally. One has to wonder how many U.S. citizens guilty of crimes have been allowed to go free because the deputies are focusing all of their attention on the immigrants (who are typically picked up for offenses like driving without a license).

Immigration is a touchy subject in this country and no doubt one that needs reforming. There is little agreement on the best way to do this, however, and Arizona seems to have taken a fairly unpopular route.

However, whether you are at risk for being stopped for “driving while brown” or being asked for proof of citizenship, or not, you still have to abide by the laws of the state.

It seems those most affected by the Sherriff’s sweeps are those driving. Offenses like driving on a suspended license and DUI no doubt make up many of those criminal charges faced by people under Arpaio’s jurisdiction.

If you are facing criminal charges of any kind in Arizona, I can help. Contact me today to discuss the details of your case and to receive some free legal advice.

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