Gordon Thompson
DUI charges are very serious in Arizona and the penalties if found guilty are perhaps the strictest in the country. DUI as a misdemeanor is a class 1 misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is up to six (6) months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500.00 plus surcharges, and up to five (5) years…
The Arizona Department of Game and Fish, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and law enforcement from the Mohave County Sheriff’s office will hold checkpoints and DUI patrols this weekend along the Colorado River. Boaters may have to pass through a checkpoint and undergo a safety inspection; at a minimum, required safety equipment includes…
Current Phoenix Police Department Chief Joe Yahner, who accepted the position in October 2015, will retire this coming October. Jeri Williams, who served 22 years with the Phoenix Police Department before accepting the Chief of Police position in Oxnard, California in 2011, was selected from among 65 applicants for the position. Future Chief Williams…
The Phoenix Police Department has identified a recent series of 8 shootings, which has resulted in the deaths of 7 people since mid-March, as being connected forensically. A police spokesman stated they have no evidence to believe the shootings have any connection to the Phoenix freeway shootings which took place last year. Since the dismissal…
In State v. Sisco, II, No. CR-15-0265-PR (7/11/16), the Arizona Supreme Court held that the odor of marijuana alone may establish probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant, notwithstanding the terms of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA). In Sisco, police officers responded to a tip that a strong odor of fresh…
While not accepted as evidence at trial in most jurisdictions, presumptive field drug tests are routinely used as a plea bargaining tool against arrested persons. Further, the majority of crime labs do not submit evidence for laboratory testing when the defendant pleads guilty. The Houston Crime Lab has committed to a policy of doing just…
A hearing was held this morning in the United State District Court in the ongoing matter of Melendres, et.al. v. Arpaio, et.al. After a lengthy hearing, during which the majority of the discussion centered around the details of compensating the plaintiffs in the class-action suit (a case which has origin in a 2007 federal…
The Arizona Office of Highway Safety reported a total of 600 personnel working task forces all over the State this past Independence Day weekend. Though the number of traffic stops increased by nearly 4,500 over last year (16,696 this year compared to 12,105 for 2015), the number of DUI arrests only increased by 2, which…
Defendant whose attorney was assisted by law student was not denied effective assistance of counsel.
In Arizona, some law students can appear in court and participant actively in the proceedings pursuant to Arizona Supreme Court Rule 38. To be eligible to appear, the law student must file a certification with the court stating they meet certain requirements. In cases representing felony defendants a supervising attorney must be present at all…