What Are The Common Types Of Criminal Cases That You Handle?
The majority of the cases that I defend are DUI offenses. I would say about 90 to 95% of my cases at the current time, it can fluctuate. As to how many of the DUI type of cases, those can be misdemeanors, those can be felony DUI cases. The rest are going to be frequently domestic violence, driving on a suspended license, hit and run, so driving type matters or criminal traffic matters or criminal but related to vehicle, operating a vehicle. Also misdemeanor possession of marijuana or other drugs or drugs paraphernalia, I can handle felony drug cases I tend not to get involved with those, I usually focus on people that have personal use.
I am not trying to get involved in cases with big quantities or manufacturing but personal use, somebody has a marijuana joint or a few pills that they shouldn't have had, so that type of thing.
What Are The Top Misconceptions People Have About Being Arrested For A Crime?
A lot of people think that it's the under the world, it is very serious. I have to emphasize to people, it is serious no doubt but it's not the end of your life, it's not the end of your world. For some people, it can be very detrimental on their career and I am not going to say that it hasn't been a great interference with their career or maybe even end their career because it depends on their career, it depends on the security clearance that they have or the type of work that they do. So sometimes a certain offense, if they are convicted, can be fatal to their career or even their current job. What I wanted to say is even an arrest sometimes can be fatal in that sense but that's not common for most people.
For most people, it is a bump in their life, it's a bump on the road of life as I refer to it. So you get a lot of bumps down your road of life, it's something that's hurdle but we've got to get you past the hurdle but it's usually not insurmountable. It's something that for most people, it's a setback but it's not the end of the world and I am going to help them get through it. There are often consequences like with motor vehicle, if you have a DUI, you're going to have motor vehicle consequences. You may have issues that you have to deal with in explaining it to the board, maybe you are licensed and there is a medical board, the nursing board, the teacher's board, or if you're in a military, you're going to have to explain it to your chain of command.
I help people understand what they need to do, the best I can. I don't know every collateral consequence in the world but I help them get through it as much as I can. So it's not just going to court but saying, “You need to do this”. For example, if you are a defense contractor, you more than likely are going to need to report this immediately, this arrest, you need to report to whatever the office is, human resources or whoever is in-charge of security where you work, you need to report the arrest. They think, “I'll wait, I'll just report the conviction if I am convicted”. I am like, “No, you have to report the arrest if you have a certain kind of a security clearance”.
It doesn't mean they're going to kick you off your job but it means you need to disclose it to them and I try to help them know what to say, what was found better than what would be the worse as far as what they say and also given that to be used as a confession later in court if the wrong people got their hands on that statement. So there is a lot that they think it's the end of the world or they think “I shouldn't disclose this”, when they should disclose it and they think “I'm just going to have to plead guilty”, and that's not the case because they're having a lawyer that knows what they're doing and having the right set of facts might mean the difference between a conviction and not a conviction or a conviction for one offense but getting a conviction for something else that's much less serious.
How Do People Unintentionally Incriminate Themselves In A Criminal Case?
People often talk to the officer and start saying too much. You have a right to remain silent for a reason. A lot of people don't invoke that right. You may get arrested even if you remain silent, you may get arrested. The problem is people try to explain things to the officer when Miranda often hasn't even kicked in; the right to being advised of Miranda Rights. The person thinks “I can just talk my way out of this” and they just start saying things that are going to be the nail in the coffin. So sometimes it's better to listen and only say the minimum. For example, your name and your date of birth and say, “Well, I don't want to say anything unless I have an attorney present”.
For more information on Criminal Cases In Arizona, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (520) 357-4746 today.
