Criminal Defense Attorney and the 50th Anniversary of Miranda
As a criminal defense attorney it is notable to me that June 13, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most famous decisions. Thanks to the Miranda opinion, anyone who has seen a TV crime drama is familiar with four standard warnings: You have the right to remain silent. Anything […]
Arizona’s Affirmative DUI Defense for Medical Marijuana Patients
As an experienced Arizona DUI defense attorney, I have defended numerous individuals who have been charged with violating the DUI statutes because marijuana or an active metabolite was found in their blood. While the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (the “AMMA”) does offer an affirmative defense to DUI-marijuana, this particular affirmative defense is relatively new in […]
Criminal Defense for Burglary
And To Think the “Hamburglar” Looks So Harmless As a criminal defense attorney in Arizona I have found that modern burglary statutes are some of the least-understood crimes on the books. Potential clients commonly ask questions like: But I just wanted to steal something. How can I be guilty of burglary? But the window was […]
Mile-High Marijuana for Arizonans #CriminalDefenseAttorney
As a criminal defense attorney in Arizona, I was paying particularly close attention on January 1, 2014, when Colorado became the first state in the Union to permit the legal use of recreational marijuana. In amending their state constitution, Colorado voters declared that: In the interest of the efficient use of law enforcement resources, enhancing […]
Do People Drink Beer for the Taste or the Buzz? #DUIDefenseAttorney
As a DUI defense attorney it doesn’t matter why a particular drink is chosen, it is the effect of your choice that matters. So, if beer is the drink you want at the weekend barbeque or while watching the ball game, have you ever wondered whether if it is the alcohol or the taste that […]
Are Jurors Entitled to Have a Conscience? #CriminalDefense
Jury nullification occurs whenever a criminal jury’s collective conscience is troubled by what is deemed to be an unjust law or a truly unique set of circumstances that justify ignoring the law. In such rare cases, the jury has the power to render a verdict that disregards both the evidence presented in court and the […]
Can you “stand your ground” in Arizona?
As an Arizona criminal defense attorney in Mesa, I have found it interesting how the George Zimmerman trial has created a national debate about the wisdom of so-called “stand your ground” laws. Many states have enacted such statutes which basically remove the ancient requirement that one had a duty to retreat prior to claiming self-defense. […]
Criminal Defense Lawyer | California Teacher Charged For Misconduct With a Minor
The criminal statutes of every state in the Union contain time limitations. Although the various states differ greatly in their applicable limitation periods, the reason for their existence is always the same. “Statutes of limitation in criminal cases are designed primarily to protect the accused from the burden of defending himself against charges of long completed misconduct.