#Arizona
A second opposition to Arizona civil forfeiture laws has been filed by the Institute of Justice. Touted as an important weapon with which the State can combat crime, by operation of law police can seize and institute forfeiture proceedings against property found incident to a criminal arrest, including property that does not belong to…
Though state law varies greatly, many states including Arizona restrict or remove the right to vote from persons convicted of felony criminal charges. A recent report by criminal justice reform group the Sentencing Project estimates more than six million Americans will be excluded from voting in the upcoming presidential election, though only about 1/4…
Arizona, unlike California (see recent legislation here, and a recent article here), does not have a statute banning use of electronic devices while driving for any purposes. Bills introduced in the State Legislature in 2015 and 2016 were not passed. Some cities, such as Tempe, have enacted limited restrictions on the use of electronic devices…
Leslie Merritt, Jr., once accused and jailed for 7 months as the suspected I-10 Freeway shooter, last week filed a civil suit in Maricopa County Superior Court against the State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery alleging false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, intentional infliction of…
A task force composed of legal experts from around the State this week submitted a report and recommendations to the Arizona Supreme Court geared toward generally reducing the imposition of court fines, fees, and penalties, providing alternatives where there is an inability to pay, and basing decisions about whether a person is eligible for pretrial…
The criminal justice system in America uses court fines and fees as a means of deterring future criminal activity, to recoup some of the public money spent on the court system and related programs, and for victim restitution. However, for those struggling to survive on low-income earnings, court fines and fees can become a…
The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment against its citizens. Courts in several jurisdictions have found incarceration in extremes of hot and cold to be prohibited by the Eighth Amendment, yet the lack of air conditioning for inmates continues to be a prevalent issue, for reasons ranging from expense to…