Gordon Thompson
4/15/16 A 75-year-old disabled Vet in Alabama was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a personal marijuana possession conviction, because he had previous (twenty years old) felony convictions for armed robbery. This New York Times editorial piece examines the injustices of mandatory life sentence requirements in personal-use marijuana cases;…
4/15/16 Arizona law now mandates a one-year revocation of a person’s Arizona driver’s license or privilege to drive if they are found guilty of a first offense Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of Drugs or Driving With a Drug in Their Body Without a Valid Prescription. By contrast, a person who is convicted of DUI…
4/14/16 Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has installed self-serve kiosks at the El Mirage and Paradise Valley City Courts. ServiceArizona kiosks are already available in the Phoenix, Scottsdale and Surprise City Courts. The ServiceArizona kiosks can be used for many routine services (which are also available on the ServiceArizona.com website), such as:…
4/14/16 Proposed legislation in New York would equip law enforcement with a device which could scan drivers’ cell phones and other electronics to determine if the item was in use at the time of an accident. If use was determined, the driver would face charges and potential accident liability. Under the terms of the bill,…
4/13/16 The U.S. Marshals Service announced Monday an operation dubbed “Operation Justice” had resulted in the arrest of 203 fugitives in Maricopa and Pinal Counties. If you’ve been charged with DUI or another criminal offense, getting help from an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer is one of the best things you can do for your…
4/13/16 Last week journalists were abruptly denied access to the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives chamber and told they would be required to submit to criminal and civil background checks to regain that access. The sudden move was not popular with journalists or lawmakers, and was as swiftly modified to again allow journalists…
4/12/16 New York Times editorial: Government agencies move toward removing or lessening some of the long-term consequences of minor criminal and drug convictions, which can affect a person’s ability to get jobs, housing, education and credit. To read the full editorial, see the nytimes.com link below: http://nyti.ms/25RtDW4 If you’ve been charged with…
4/12/16 A Virginia man who was falsely convicted of murder (originally sentenced to death, the sentence was commuted), and who served 33 years in prison was just released from prison when the State agreed that supposed scientifically reliable bite mark evidence led to a false conviction. In the case, experts had testified that bite mark…
4/7/16 Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix Police Sergeant who in the 2012 race came close to unseating incumbent Joe Arpaio, has announced he will run again in the 2016 election. For more on this story, see the azcentral.com article below: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2016/04/06/paul-penzone-sheriff-arpaio-election/82721132/ If you’ve been charged with DUI or another criminal offense, getting help from an…
4/6/16 Though the attempt failed last year, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has reduced the ad price to $2,500 per year, which entitles an attorney to a 14×11 framed poster with a holder for business cards in the jail’s visiting area. All funds generated will go to the inmate welfare account, utilized solely for the…