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Arizona Hit-and-Run Laws

The term hit-and-run is one that is emotionally charged. You hear it and immediately imagine someone callously running over someone and just driving off without checking to see if the other person is okay. But what about a person who does stop, talks to the other person or people involved to make sure they’re all right, then continues on? Or a person who is involved in the slightest of fender benders where there was barely even an “injury” to the vehicle. If that person doesn’t follow the letter of the law as outlined under ARS 28-663 for traffic accidents, they can be charged with a hit-and-run crime – even if they stopped!

Different Hit-and-Run Violations in Arizona

The different kinds of hit-and-run violations covered under Arizona law are described in ARS 28-661 and 28-662. But though the types of accidents described below vary, they all end the same way – with the person neglecting to obey Arizona’s hit-and-run laws by leaving the scene without providing the information required under the law:

Damage to another motorist’s vehicle. This Arizona hit-and-run law only covers damage to property in the event of getting into an accident with an attended vehicle where the owner is not injured, but damage has been done to their vehicle.

Non-serious physical injury. If, during your accident, the other party is physically harmed, but not seriously injured, and you don’t stop to make sure they are okay and share your license and insurance information, you are guilty of an injury hit-and-run. These kinds of violations encompass accidents between two or more vehicles as well as accidents that involve pedestrians or people using non-motor vehicles.

Serious injury or death. Just like the non-serious physical injury hit-and-run, but in this case not stopping to help is an even bigger deal, because the person you hit has been seriously hurt or dies from the wounds they have received.

Penalties for Hit-and-Run Violations in Arizona

The penalties for damaging someone’s vehicle, causing injury to them, and causing their death escalate based on the seriousness of the crime. Not surprisingly, the punishments you will face for hit-and-run violations related to each of these crimes vary in severity as well.

If you only damage property and fail to stop and provide your information as required under Arizona law, you will be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries with it fines of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail, as well as having your license suspended for 1 year.

If you cause non-serious physical injury to a person and fail to stop and provide your information as required under Arizona law, you are guilty of a Class 6 felony. Not only will your license be suspended for 3 years, but a Class 6 felony also carries with it a 1 year prison term.

If you are involved in an accident that causes serious injury or death to a person and fail to stop and provide your information as required under Arizona law, you will be charged with a Class 4 felony with attached prison time of two and a half years. And if it is determined that you were responsible for the accident, the charge becomes a Class 3 felony with three and a half years of prison time. Both of these crimes require that your license be suspended for 5 years.

Legal Responsibilities When Involved in an Arizona Accident

Arizona law ARS 28-663 outlines the duties and responsibilities required of drivers who are involved in traffic accidents. These include:

  • Stopping. The first and most important thing is to immediately stop your vehicle, get out, and deal with the situation.
  • Provide the other party involved in the accident with your name, address, and registration information.
  • Show your driver’s license to the other party if they ask you to do so.
  • If there is any indication of an injury, provide whatever assistance you can to the other party, including giving first aid, calling 9-1-1, or getting help in another way.

Those are your responsibilities to the other person involved in the accident, but there’s also something that you can and should do as a way of being responsible to yourself – immediately get in contact with an experienced Arizona traffic accident attorney who knows the ins and outs of traffic and hit-and-run laws and has dealt with cases like yours in the past. Getting a professional on your side as early as possible is the surest way for you to receive a positive outcome from a potentially negative situation like this.

Fleeing an Arizona Police Officer

One of the first things we are taught when learning to drive is that you always stop for police officers, ambulances, and fire trucks. As soon as those lights start flashing or that siren begins wailing, you pull over to the side of the road to get out of their way.

Why, then, do things change when we fear that a law enforcement officer might be putting on those lights or sounding that siren for us? One reason, obviously, is fear. If we feel like we have done something wrong, getting pulled over by a cop can be a terrifying experience, and one that we might feel like we have to avoid. But there are other reasons. Perhaps you couldn’t see the lights or hear the sirens. Or maybe you genuinely didn’t believe that the officer could have been singling you out to try to get you to pull over.

Regardless, if you have been charged with fleeing or eluding a police officer in Arizona, you should know that it is a serious offense. That’s why you want an Arizona criminal attorney on your side who has experience dealing with these types of matters. He or she can explain what you will be going up against, and will work with you to find the best possible defense to make sure you receive a positive outcome.

Arizona Penalties for Attempting to Flee a Police Officer

In the state of Arizona, the simple act of attempting to flee from or elude a police officer is considered a misdemeanor offense. This charge carries with it a fine that can range from a minimum of $300 to a maximum of $5,000 for a first time offense if you are convicted. And that’s only if you don’t have any prior convictions. For someone with one other conviction in the last five years, that minimum fine goes up to $600; and if you’ve had three convictions in a five year period, the minimum fine jumps to $1,000. All just because you didn’t stop when a police officer told you to!

And that’s not the worst of it. If you happen to exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour while the police officer is after you, if you cross state lines, or if anyone is injured due to the incident, you can be charged with a felony that will go on your criminal record for the rest of your life.

Requirements Arizona Police Have to You When Attempting to Pull You Over

Here’s the good news, and why having an experienced Arizona criminal attorney who knows the ins and outs of this law is extremely important. Just as you have a responsibility to stop whenever an officer asks you to do so, they have a responsibility to you in the way that they present themselves.

Any Arizona police officer who attempts to get a civilian to stop is require to be dressed in their uniform, which needs to display his or her badge of office clearly every time a stop is going to be tried. Besides ensuring that the officer or officers trying to pull you over are wearing uniforms and badges, there’s an even clearer visual sign – their vehicle! Any vehicle attempting to make a police stop has to prominently display markings that designate it as an official vehicle of the police force.

There are a couple of reasons why it is important for you to know this information. Firstly, for your safety. While you should always stop for genuine police officers, you want to take care that you are not pulling over for someone attempting to impersonate an officer. Always try to verify that it is an actual police vehicle and a uniformed officer after you before you pull your car over.

The second reason this information is good to know is because if the officer accusing you of attempting to flee was not following regulations, a skilled Arizona attorney can use this fact to help your defense. It may enable him or her to have the charges against you reduced, or possibly even get the case dismissed altogether.

Failure to Report an Arizona DUI Accident

If we’re being honest, most of us have probably had a drink and driven home at least a few times in our lives. And though the smartest decision is to never be drinking when you know you’re going to have to drive, having one beer won’t impair the majority of people or put them over the legal limit.

But now imagine this nightmare: as you’re driving home, you get into an accident with another driver. Your mind starts to race, and you become terrified. Are you sure you didn’t drink enough to get a DUI? What will that mean for your driving record? For your future? In a moment of panic, you flee the scene of the accident without reporting it or giving your information to anyone.

Unfortunately, a cop saw you and chased you down, and now he says he’s going to charge you with a DUI, the accident, and for failure to stop at that accident. Your license is going to be revoked, and what might have been just a little fender bender has turned into a serious criminal offense. Worse, when your Arizona DUI lawyer goes over all the details with you, he tells you that he probably could have had the DUI charges thrown out and that the accident was actually the fault of the other driver! But since you tried to flee, it makes it seem like you were the guilty party and trying to hide something.

Do yourself a favor and always report accidents.

Charges and Penalties for Failing to Report an Arizona DUI Accident

Getting into an accident while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is obviously a very, very bad thing. If that accident resulted in another person being injured, you will be charged with a felony or aggravated DUI. This type of DUI charge is Arizona’s most severe and carries with it a number of extreme penalties.

If convicted, you can get up to 18 years of prison time, be forced to pay $5,500 or more in fines, be charged high assessment fees, have your driver’s license revoked for more than 3 years, be required to undergo mandatory counseling and screening for drugs and alcohol, attend mandatory traffic school, complete community service hours, have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicles, be put on probation for up to 5 years, get driving record points put on your license, and receive a permanent criminal record.

Why would you want to flee the scene and add more penalties to that already long list?

  • By not reporting an accident involving only property damage, you can be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor and your license can be suspended for 1 year.
  • By not reporting an accident in which someone was injured, you can be charged with a Class 5 felony and your license can be revoked for 3 years.
  • By not reporting an accident in which someone was seriously injured or was killed, you can be charged with a Class 3 felony and your license can be revoked for 5 years.
  • And finally, by not reporting an accident in which someone was seriously injured or was killed for which you were at fault, you can be charged with a Class 2 felony and your license can be revoked for 5 years.

The real kicker? These license suspensions and revocations aren’t done concurrently with any other penalties you might receive for other charges, but consecutively. What this means is that if your license is revoked for a year for the DUI, another 5 years for the accident itself, and 3 years simply for not reporting the accident, you’ll be without a license for a total of 9 years!

Your Legal Obligations in an Arizona DUI Accident

So, what exactly are you required to do if you get into an accident? Under Arizona law, regardless of whether the accident caused vehicle damage, injury, or even death, you have to stop at the scene of the incident to provide your information (name, address, licenses plate number, driver’s license) as well as try to help anyone who was injured in the accident, possibly even arranging for medical treatment.

Almost anyone who has ever been involved in a car accident knows and understands this process. If you can, give your information to the other driver involved in the accident. Sometimes no other driver is involved in an accident, but this doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to simply walk away. In this situation, it is your responsibility to find the owner of the property you damaged and give him or her your information, or at the very least leave a note for the owner that includes your contact information.

An Arizona DUI Accident Is a Very Serious Thing

But just because the charges are serious and scary, that doesn’t mean that running away is going to make it any better, and there is a good chance it could make it a lot worse. Before panicking, contact your Arizona DUI attorney and let him or her walk you through what you need to do and how you should interact with the police. Experienced DUI attorneys have done this before, and they can help to make sure you receive the best possible outcome.

DUI-related Deaths in Arizona

If you are charged with driving under the influence in the State of Arizona, you can face penalties including fines, alcohol education classes, suspension of your license, an ignition interlock device, and even jail time.

If that charge also involves an accident where a pedestrian, passenger, or people in another vehicle were killed, the penalties that you will face will automatically become far more severe, and you will have to deal with incredibly serious felony charges. To combat these, you are going to need a knowledgeable Arizona DUI attorney on your side, preferably one with experience dealing with vehicular manslaughter cases and who knows the laws of Arizona in and out.

Criminal Charges You Could Face in Arizona for a DUI Death

In Arizona, DUI arrests that involve causing injury to someone else are commonly charged as felonies, and could be categorized under a couple of different possible crimes:

  • Accident Involving Death or Personal Injuries. This is typically used for hit and run cases, and can apply to DUI-related deaths if the driver doesn’t stop to offer help or leave their contact information. Among other penalties, it is a felony that will result in the accused having his or her license suspended for 5 years in the event of a serious injury or death.
  • Negligent Homicide. This is a Class 4 Felony and means that even though the accused person didn’t realize that they were taking a huge and unjustifiable risk, no reasonable person would have made the choices that they did which caused the victim’s death.
  • Manslaughter. A Class 2 Felony is defined as a person “consciously disregarding” the inherent risks involved in their actions. It should be noted that intoxication itself is not considered a defense against “consciously” ignoring risks.
  • Second Degree Murder. If a DUI-related traffic accident causes someone’s death and you are charged with second degree murder, receiving a prison term of 15 to 20 years is not uncommon for a conviction.

What the Prosecution Needs to Show to Get a DUI Death Conviction

As you can probably guess from the above descriptions, exactly what the prosecution will need to prove depends greatly on the actual charges you receive. For some of the above crimes, it is up to the prosecution to prove that your conduct was reckless or criminally negligent (e.g., you didn’t account for the safety of others), that you could have reasonably foreseen the consequences of your actions, or that you had criminal intent.

Second degree murder, obviously, comes with the harshest penalties, and as such, is the hardest for the prosecution to prove because they have to show that the defendant exhibited “extreme indifference to human life.”

How to Fight Charges Related to a DUI Death

Because the laws of Arizona have completely separate charges for a DUI and any deaths that might have been caused by driving under the influence, it might be in your best interest to tackle defending the charges separately too. For the criminal DUI attorney you hire, this means finding ways to show that you were not actually legally intoxicated, including:

  • finding errors the police made in your arrest
  • improperly administered field sobriety tests
  • incorrect BAC test results (related to malfunctioning equipment, user error, mistakes in calibration, or your own body’s physiology)
  • gathering and analyzing physical evidence

If you are able to disprove their allegations that you were intoxicated, it may be possible to reduce any charges related to the death by showing that you weren’t taking any “unjustifiable” risks or “disregarding” human life because you were sober and not driving reckless.

The goal of your Arizona DUI attorney should be to call into question whatever evidence the prosecution has and show that there are any number of reasons why it could be misleading or just simply false. If your defense is able to adequately do this, it can cause evidence in the prosecution’s possession to be made inadmissible, which will hopefully prevent you from being convicted, make the prosecution reduce your charges, or even get the charges dismissed altogether.

But because of the severity inherent in cases that involve the death of another human being, even just having the charges reduced to reckless driving, a straight DUI, or even a lower homicide charge can vastly improve your future by helping you to avoid the harshest prison sentence offered by the State of Arizona.

To receive the best chance of getting a positive outcome, don’t play games with your future. If you have been charged with a DUI death, contact an experienced Arizona criminal DUI attorney today.

Drug DUI Charges in the State of Arizona

According to Arizona DUI law ARS 28-1381(A)(3), if you decide to drive and happen to have any drug or drug metabolite in your system, the police can charge and convict you for breaking DUI laws, regardless of whether or not you were actually impaired. All that matters is that they can still prove the drug was in your system.

What does this mean in layman’s terms? Let’s say you went to a party last week and had a “special” brownie. Maybe you didn’t even know it was “special” at the time. Now you’ve gotten into an accident while driving, and the police decide to give you a urine test. Even though you are clearly not still high from a brownie you had a week ago, the mere fact that the drug will still be in your system is enough for them to charge you with breaking DUI laws.

What drugs does Arizona list as being eligible to cause drug DUI charges?

The list of substances that can be counted toward drug DUI charges in Arizona can be found in ARS 13-3401. There are far, far too many to list here, but generally speaking that list matches the list of drugs that are illegal to possess in Arizona. So if you were worried about getting a drug DUI for taking doctor-prescribed drugs, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Drug DUI Penalties in the State of Arizona

Being charged with an Arizona drug DUI is not something that should be taken lightly. The penalties for being convicted of a drug DUI in Arizona are actually harsher than those you would face for an alcohol-related DUI. Along with having your driver’s license automatically revoked, and being prohibited from reapplying for an entire year (way worse than the 90-day driver’s license suspension an alcohol-related DUI conviction will net you), you also won’t even be eligible to get a work permit. Some of the other penalties associated with this crime include:

  • fines and fees that usually total about $2,000
  • mandatory alcohol and drug screening and classes
  • 12 month mandatory usage of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle
  • 10 days of jail time (9 of which it is possible for the court to suspend depending on the circumstances surrounding the case; however, you are required by law to serve at least 24 hours in jail regardless)

If these penalties seem tough, keep in mind that these are just the minimum punishments laid down by law for someone facing a first-time drug DUI charge. It is quite possible that the circumstances of the case may cause the court to order further punishments. Naturally, the associated penalties also increase if this is a second, third, or later offense.

Getting convicted of a drug DUI can also cause problems that probably haven’t even occurred to you, like the loss of a job that requires you to drive for your work, or the fact that you’ll now have a criminal record for the rest of your life. That may not seem like such a big deal, but consider this: your permanent criminal record is going to show up every time you have to fill out a job application or go through a background check. This can make it a lot harder for you to find work, get an apartment, or successfully apply for credit cards and loans. And you'll be completely ineligible for certain specific professional organizations that provide professional licenses.

Get a Good Arizona Criminal DUI Attorney to Fight Your Drug DUI

With everything that you have at stake in a drug DUI case, you need to make sure that you have the best possible defense. You want someone who knows the ins and outs of Arizona DUI law and Arizona drug law so that you can work together to find the most positive outcome for you and your future. And you want someone who understands police procedures for utilizing testing devices and the science behind them, so that he or she will be able to point out mistakes in their arrest process and call into question the “facts” garnered by using the various tests. There are many reasons that such tests can produce inaccurate results, but the only way for you to argue that is to get someone who knows what they are talking about.

Contact an Arizona DUI attorney today to get someone on your side that you trust as soon as possible. The earlier in the process a qualified attorney gets involved, the better your chances at receiving a positive outcome.

Brutal Assault Leaves Off Duty Phoenix Police Officer with Concussion

Officer Neal Arruchio and his companion had no idea about the terrible turn of events they were about to face as they headed out to enjoy a South Philly cheesesteak while wearing his Ranger’s jersey.  Arruchio was off duty and out for an evening to enjoy the match between the Rangers and Flyers.   At Geno’s Steaks they ran into serious trouble when the encountered Dennis Veteri an obviously rabid Flyers fan.

Powerful Video Evidence Helping to Build a Powerful Case

In video captured at the scene it is evident Arruchio was trying to bring their disagreement to an end and calm the situation when suddenly Veteri started throwing punches.  Veteri continued the assault after Arruchio was on the floor. 

Arruchio sustained multiple injuries from the attack including a concussion, eye injuries, and facial bone damage.  The off duty officer will need reconstructive surgery in order to correct the damage sustained in the attack. 

Veteri did not act alone in this battle.  He was joined by two other men who the police are currently trying to locate.  There have been no official charges filed on these two additional men.  They are being sought for questioning and to determine their involvement in the attack.  Veteri has a long history of violence in both Phoenix  and Florida with aggravated assault, battery, and drug charges in both states. 

Dennis Veteri has been charged with numerous crimes for this attack which include:

- 2 Counts – Aggravated Assault

- 2 Counts – Conspiracy

- 2 Counts – Simple Assault

- 2  Counts – Reckless Endangerment

The two sets of charges are due to the attack on Arruchio’s companion, also.  The conspiracy charges come from his enrolling the assistance of his friends in this brutal attack. 

The One Intelligent Move of Veteri

Veteri knew he was in serious trouble with the police immediately and sought the advice of a Phoenix defense attorney.  He was arrested by the police in his attorney’s office and the later released on a $100,000 bond.  The Phoenix  District Attorney’s office has returned to the judge requesting a review of the bond amount.  It is their belief the bail is not set high enough to deter Veteri from attempting to flee.

When paired with Veteri’s previous criminal convictions he could be facing very stiff sentencing guidelines.  It is possible Veteri will face Pennsylvania’s second strike for a violent crime which has a mandatory sentence of 10 years.  Facing two separate charges could potentially lengthen the time to 25 years.  This is a crucial point Veteri needs to discuss with his defense attorney to determine if this one event represents just his second strike or his third strike since the sentencing guidelines are dramatically different.

The factor of assaulting an off-duty police officer paired with the strong video evidence may make the District Attorney’s office very reluctant to accept any pleas for leniency in the case.  The case will be an interesting one to keep a close eye on as it proceeds through trial and sentencing.  Hopefully officer Arruchio heals rapidly and is able to return to duty quickly.

Eighteen Year Old Captured for Two West Phoenix Sexual Assaults

The community needs to extend a thank you to the courageous 35-year old woman who managed to break free from her assailant and immediately notified police.  Her quick actions allowed the police to start an immediate search leading to the capture of Dominic Johnson as a suspect in this attack and two previous sexual assault cases.

The police spotted a man matching the description of the 35-year old woman’s attacker.  When Johnson saw the police he took off at a sprint trying to elude capture.  The police managed to capture Dominic quickly and recovered the handgun he had used in his earlier attack.  The apprehension took place near Chestnut and Sixtieth Street in West Phoenix.

Multiple Attacks in West Phoenix Using Identical Methods

Johnson’s attempted sexual assault on the 35-year old woman followed the same pattern as the two previous cases.  His normal mode of operation was to grab the victim from behind, pull a gun, and then sexually assault them.  The two previous victims were a 19 year old woman on January 3 and a 18 year old woman in the early morning hours of January 11.  This latest attempt occurred the same day at approximately 11:20PM.  The short time between attacks indicates his desire to attack may have been accelerating.

Dominic Johnson is a resident of Southwest Phoenix.  His bail has been set at $1.5 million dollars due to the District Attorney and Court believing Dominic is a high risk for flight.  He has been charged with the following felonies:

1- Rape

2- Aggravated Assault

3- Robbery

The District Attorney’s office has charged him with other related charges.  Each charge of rape carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years imprisonment in the state of Phoenix.  With the other charges Mr. Johnson could be spending many years in prison if convicted.

The Court Could Slam the Book on the Suspects Freedom

It will be up to the discretion of the court whether charges will be served in concurrently or consecutively.  This is one issue where Dominic Johnson will need to rely heavily on his Phoenix area defense attorney.  Being able to serve his sentences concurrently would shorten his time in prison dramatically.  You can expect the District Attorney’s office to fight vigorously for the opposite to keep him off the street if he is convicted.

From all reports Mr. Johnson acted independently in all of his attacks.  There currently no reports of his attacks being associated to gang activity in the area. 

With multiple charges, plus multiple crimes, the suspect may be facing not only the standard stiff sentencing but further years of imprisonment under Pennsylvania’s two and three strike rules for violent crime.  This could increase his mandatory sentencing to 25 years or longer.  You can expect his choice of defense attorney to fight vigorously to avoid these additional sentencing guidelines being used.

The women of West Phoenix may be breathing a big sigh of relief knowing a suspect has been apprehended in these cases.  The quick and powerful actions of a brave 35-year old Phoenix woman provided police the opportunity they needed.

Phoenix Heated Argument Leads to Arson

A burning truck brought down an entire house in a Phoenix neighborhood recently. A family home near  31st Avenue and Cactus Road is in ruins after a fire began in its carport. Neighbors who heard a loud explosion  from the house were able to wake the residents in enough time for everyone to safely escape.

The fire is believed to be the result of vindictive arson. Family members report that a former resident was involved in an argument with the current tenants earlier that day. They believe the same person may have returned to set a truck on fire which eventually burned down the entire house.

It does not take a Phoenix arson lawyer to raise the question as to whether any argument is worth the risk of committing a crime of arson. While reckless burning may be a simple misdemeanor, arson of an occupied structure is a class 2 felony. Class 2 felonies for a first offense can mean up to 12 and a half years in prison. A second time offense can result in up to 23 years in prison, while a third offense can mean 35 years.

Despite the earlier argument, residents of the house were surprised when neighbors alerted them about the fire. Even more strange, this was not the first arson attempt. A couple weeks earlier, someone had attempted to set the same truck on fire. This time, there may have been a clearer motive, because the fire was proceeded by a heated argument with a resident and a former tenant.

The fire, which spread to the house through the attic, around 2am, had engulfed the house by the time firefighters arrived. The truck which started the house fire,  had been sitting in the carport for days, and was not at risk to catch on fire when the residents went to sleep that night. Upon further investigation, firefighter located what may have been an accelerant spread around the carport.

The burning truck let off a loud explosion that alerted the neighbors. At the time of the explosion, all of the house's four residents were asleep, but thanks to their persistence, made it out safely. The house, which was occupied by three male and one female roommates did not have smoke detectors installed. Neighbors banged on the doors and broke windows to wake up the residents.

The four residents lost their belongings and are currently displaced, but most were not harmed by the fire. One resident, was treated on site for smoke inhalation. It could have been a lot worse.

Although the residents have a hunch about who set the fire, investigators are not limiting their search. They are stating that they are still looking into possible arsonists. Officials also have not released the names of any person of interest, but are releasing information that they do have at least one. I would think that it probably would not be a bad idea for the former tenant to start shopping around for a Phoenix arson lawyer.

Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Scott Walker does not suspect that the incident was the act of a serial arsonist.

Employee Victim of Attempted Rape While Taking a Break

An Arizona Grand Resort employee was recently the victim of an attempted rape while taking a restroom break. The resort is located on Baseline and 48th street in South Phoenix. The attack took place in a bathroom located outside the reservations office. Security officers for the resort were able to apprehended the suspect.

Thirty year old Michael Robert Martinez was loitering outside of the resort's restroom when the victim, also 30, entered to use it. Before the female could leave the restroom, Martinez entered the womens restroom, grabbing the employee from behind and began to remove her underwear. Martinez then also forced the employee to the ground, but the victim was able to escape and run out of the restroom. Although he was not able to harm her, the victim was convinced he was trying to rape her.

Martinez could be charged with two different offenses: sexual assault and kidnapping. The kidnapping charge would be for restraining the employee in the restroom. He may also be charged with sexual assault. Sexual assault is defined as intentional sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact without consent. Both charges are class 2 felonies. Class two felonies that are considered dangerous can serve up to 21 years in jail for a first offense. Offenders with one prior could serve up to 28 years, while those with two priors could serve up to 35 years.

There is no information as to whether or not Martinez has any priors. As a matter of fact, at the time of writing this, Martinez had not even been officially charged. If charged, Martinez could seek the help of a Phoenix rape attorney to defend him, although he was easily identified by many as being at the scene when the victim ran off screaming.  Not only did Arizona Grand Resort security guards quickly detain Martinez at the scene,  co-workers were also able to hear the female employee victim screaming. An attorney would definitely be useful, but he or she may have to work miracles.

That would be, of course, if they aren't all busy working the high profile Edward Lee Hartley, Marcos Cantu or Richard Sangalang rape cases. These sad situations, involving minors, have gathered lots of media attention. Based on the news, it is easy to assume that Maricopa County has been very active with sex crime charges. A Phoenix rape attorney might be more in demand than anyone would like to think.

Micheal Robert Martinez may not be high profile, but his story is definitely noticed. Representatives at the resort have been able to verify that the Martinez did not also work at the resort. They have also confirmed that he was not a guest there either. He may have been a complete stranger stalking the bathroom for his next victim, or perhaps he was targeting the specific employee. The resort is not providing any more info and have officially asked that all information about the attack be requested from the Phoenix police department.

Hunters Find Marijuana Instead of Deer

Phoenix area hunters found more than what they were looking for while hunting near the Mexican border. The men, Pierre Mondotte and Anthony Piazza were on a multi day hunting trip when they stumbled on what they thought to be a body laying under a tree. What they found was not a body, but actually 126 pounds of marijuana.

The illegal substance was packed in a large burlap sack and left under a tree in a small town south of Tuscon. The sack, labeled “product of Mexico,” was filled with tightly packed orange blocks of marijuana. The hunters stopped to check it out because they thought the orange they were seeing was  fabric frequently worn by hunters. They wanted to make sure there wasn't a body in the sack. When they reached the tree and looked in the sack they found it full of drugs.

Possession of marijuana is illegal in Arizona, and any Phoenix drug lawyer will tell you that 126 pounds of it is definitely a felony. There are criminal charges involving marijuana possession for amounts greater than two pounds. Amounts that small could be considered a class 4 felony and could mean 1 to 15 years in prison depending on the specifics of the case.  I wonder how much time 126 pounds could earn you?

While the hunters were most likely relieved to find out that it wasn't a dead body under the tree, they were definitely shocked to find that much marijuana. They laughed about their find and quickly turned it over to authorities. I am sure no one wants to get caught with that much weed.

Law enforcement believes the large sack of drugs might have been left by drug smugglers transporting the marijuana out of Mexico. It was either left on accident while fleeing, or purposefully for someone else to pick up at a later time. No matter what reason it was left, the large stash is now out of the wilderness and into the hands of the National Guard.

Had the owners of this large stash been caught crossing the border with that much marijuana, they could have easily been facing a class 2 felony. A Phoenix drug lawyer would have to work very hard to explain why anyone would have 126 pounds of marijuana in their possession. It would definitely be worth trying though, because class 2 felonies can result in 12 years in prison for a first offense. Leaving the stash under a tree in a remote area of the state probably made a lot of sense to anyone in danger of getting caught with it.

Mondotte and Piazza are getting their fifteen minutes of fame for finding the huge stash of drugs. The men say the experience has been priceless, even though they did not catch any deer. Their find probably tops any hunting story they could have ever come up with.

The marijuana the hunters found is believed to be worth over $100,000. 

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