Conviction of possession of marijuana or intent to sell charges lead to serious punishment in Arizona. Under state law, “marijuana” refers to any or all parts of the cannabis plant from which the resin has not been extracted. The plant may be growing, dead, or just in the form of unsterilized seeds capable of germination. Police and prosecutors work closely together to ensure as many convictions as possible are delivered on cases of possession or sale of these plants, with felony convictions resulting in jail time, prison, expensive fines and other penalties.

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When Marijuana Possession Becomes Intent to Sell

Arizona Revised Statute, ARS 13-3405 states, “A person shall not knowingly possess or use marijuana” or “possess marijuana for sale.” But what makes possession of marijuana “intent to sell?” The statute defines possession of marijuana for sale as meeting three standards beyond a reasonable doubt:

• You knowingly possessed marijuana
• The substance is confirmed as marijuana
• The possession is for the purpose of sale

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When a driver in Arizona is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), that driver is provided with an Administrative Per Se Implied Consent Affidavit. Also know as the “Admin Per Se Form”, this Affidavit is a combination of Arizona DUI laws pertaining to ARS 28-1321 and ARS 28-1385 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.

The Admin Per Se Implied Consent Affidavit is a restatement of laws applying to arrest and suspicion of DUI, particularly that the person must consent to a breath, blood or urine test at the officer’s discretion. Drivers are first exposed to these laws when they obtain their driver’s license. Without individual signed consent at the time of licensure, a driver is not permitted a license.

Just as the Miranda Rights are always required to be read as an indication of individual rights and procedure during arrest, the Admin Per Se Implied Consent Affidavit is read to the arrested party, suspected of DUI, to remind them that they have already – by nature of having an Arizona driver’s license – provided consent for chemical testing when suspected of a DUI. Read More

A conviction of a DUI, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the state of Arizona, is reliant on proof that you were actually driving the vehicle while intoxicated. Where things become a bit “gray” is under the term of “no actual physical control”. No actual physical control is a confusing concept to many drivers in the state.

The definition of actual physical control of a vehicle is determined under a variety of factors with the courts using “totality of the circumstances” to determine whether a driver had actual physical control of their vehicle while intoxicated. If actual physical control is deemed to have existed, then a DUI charge can be enforced.

When you are facing DUI charges, it is very important that you have an experienced lawyer on your side. David Michael Cantor is a Phoenix DUI attorney who has helped change the laws of the state of Arizona in regard to actual physical control. The case which resulted in changes for all state residents was State v. Love, heard in the Supreme Court of Arizona in 1995. If you are up against DUI charges and penalties, DM Cantor can help you win your case. Read More

When you are suspected of DUI and administered a breathalyzer test, there are a multitude of substances that can affect your test results. Even if you have not been drinking alcohol, you can still be arrested if your breathalyzer test registers over the national legal limit of 0.08 percent for blood alcohol content (BAC).

When a proper defense is needed for your breathalyzer test results as part of a DUI case, it is important to get the help of a lawyer as soon as possible. Your criminal defense attorney can help you build a strong, aggressive defense against these charges.

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What Causes Breathalyzers to Register Positive for BAC?

When you have not been drinking, but have a positive result for BAC during a breathalyzer test, there are several things that may have caused this “false positive.” These include asthma inhalants, administered by patients directly through a device much like a breathalyzer, called an inhaler. Read More

When you are convicted of DUI in Arizona or any other criminal charges, it is critical that you pay the court fines and fees on time. By not paying these or meeting the requirements of any payment arrangements, you can be required to serve jail time and may suffer even greater expense due to interest charges and other added fees. If you are facing charges, it is important to enlist the help of an experienced Arizona DUI criminal defense attorney. Such an attorney can help you throughout your case, even possibly helping you to gain lesser charges or reduced sentencing and fines.

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Payment Options Do Exist for Defendants in Arizona

Arizona DUI defendants ordered to pay fines or fees can receive an option from the courts to pay the fees in Read More

The Subprime Lending and Mortgage Crisis effectively exposed one thing; mortgage fraud was rampant in the system. Since the end of the Great Recession and Global Financial Crisis, regulators began pursuing more seriously investigations and prosecutions of such crimes. In this article we look at the white collar crimes of mortgage fraud and equity skimming.

Federal Government Endeavors to Reduce Mortgage Fraud Across the Nation

The federal government quickly discovered that mortgage fraud and equity skimming were a national phenomenon. Congress enacted the Secure and Fair Enforcement Mortgage Licensing Act. This created a national system of mortgage registration and licensing protocols.

It also enabled prosecutors to go hard after mortgage fraud. The FBI Director Robert Mueller declared that the number of cases of mortgage fraud rose by almost 63 percent between years 2008 and July 2009. To go more effectively after these “white collar” criminals, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced his Treasury Department would begin collaborating more intensively with the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and Housing and Urban Development in order to effectively tackle mortgage fraud around the country.

The feds believed that such a multi-organizational approach to hunting down mortgage fraudsters would permit the federal government to successfully boost its enforcement, all the while raising consumer awareness of fraudulent and abusive schemes in existence.

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Possible Penalties for Committing Mortgage Fraud

The government enacted severe penalties for such criminal behavior of mortgage fraud. The penalties can include large fines, seizure of business licenses, misdemeanor charges, and even criminal felony charges. With state and federal agencies working together to uncover and prosecute such criminals, the chances of people becoming caught has substantially increased.

The downside to this higher level of inter-agency communication lies in the higher odds for false accusations to arise. Attorneys with great experience in defending against such accusations of mortgage fraud come in handy for any business which feels that it is being improperly targeted for deceptive lending or fraudulent practices.

Click here to Read More About Mortgage Fraud

Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adult Abuse (ARS §13-3623) are very serious charges and should not be taken lightly. They can carry significant, life-changing penalties and fines, not to mention including years of prison time. This article discusses what are the child abuse laws, possible defenses and an in depth look at the penalties.

In this video, David Cantor explains these charges:

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What is Considered Abuse in the State of Arizona?

According to ARS §8-201, abuse is defined as follows:

The infliction or allowing of physical injury, impairment of bodily function or disfigurement or the infliction of or allowing another person to cause serious emotional damage as evidenced by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal or untoward aggressive behavior and which emotional damage is diagnosed by a medical doctor or psychologist and is caused by the acts or omissions of an individual who has the care, custody and control of a child.

Abuse includes:

1. Inflicting or allowing sexual abuse pursuant to section 13-1404, sexual conduct with a minor pursuant to ARS 13-1405, sexual assault pursuant to section 13-1406, molestation of a child pursuant to section 13-1410, commercial sexual exploitation of a minor pursuant to section 13-3552, sexual exploitation of a minor pursuant to section 13-3553, incest pursuant to section 13-3608 or child sex trafficking pursuant to section 13-3212.
2.  Physical injury that results from permitting a child to enter or remain in any structure or vehicle in which volatile, toxic or flammable chemicals are found or equipment is possessed by any person for the purpose of manufacturing a dangerous drug as defined in section 13-3401.
3.  Unreasonable confinement of a child.

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What are some Defenses for Charges of Abuse?

In a child abuse, or vulnerable adult abuse, case in the State of Arizona, the biggest burden of proof is proof of intention. It must be proven that the Defendant meant to harm the victim. If that cannot be proven, the Defendant can get a less harsh conviction and sentence, or even be cleared of all charges. Majority of abuse charges in the State of Arizona are charged under “recklessness” or “negligence” standards because they may be easier to prove.

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Finding a job in today’s economy can be tough. Although that is a difficult task on its own for the best of candidates, adding an Arizona DUI conviction to your record can make a job search even more problematic. At best, you may find yourself embarrassed about your poor decision-making that led to DUI charges. At worst, you may not be able to work in your chosen field, travel to other countries without extra hassles or maintain the trust of your peers when you do gain a position. Even just getting to work each day can be made difficult, if you have a suspended or revoked driver’s license.

If you are charged with DUI in Arizona, it is very important that you seek the advice of a licensed Arizona DUI defense attorney. Through the help of an experienced lawyer, you can fight the charges for a possible dismissal or reduction of those charges or reduced sentencing. Read More