The “#Me Too” movement, which has focused on sexual assault and harassment, particularly in the workplace, has also brought attention to an interesting phenomenon among Arizona police officers. It includes not only institutional harassment and sexism, but also a slew...
Blog
Aggravated Assault Charges in Arizona
February has been a banner month of sorts for aggravated assault. It seems as if every other news story is mentioning the offense in one context or another. We’ve gathered together several cases that have emerged (or have been revived) over recent weeks to examine...
New Arizona Law Targets Opioid Epidemic
We have written in the past about the opioid epidemic, and in particular the fact that Arizona is among the states with the highest rate of prescription drug overdose and prescription drug abuse in the nation. That article was written in 2016, and Arizona has finally...
Homeland Security Nets 7 Fake Watches in Phoenix
That’s right! Your federal tax dollars are hard at work in Arizona. In mid-December, a sting operation took place on the streets of Phoenix. On the law enforcement side were agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The alleged bad guys,...
Hi-Tech Real Estate Scams Target Home Buyers
As technology moves forward at blinding speed, opportunities continually arise for white collar criminals. The problem is a huge one, and the FBI issued a Public Service Announcement last year on the subject. The latest scam in the news targets home buyers, including...
Phoenix Police Misconduct Leads to $100,000 Settlement
A man who was given an ultimatum by three cops of choosing to eat marijuana or go to jail has settled his civil case with the city and will receive $100,000 in damages. Edgar Castro was pulled over on what may have been a bogus traffic stop in September 2016. They say...
Buckeye Cops Facing Corruption Allegations
An anonymous letter sent by “numerous employees of the Buckeye [AZ] Police Department” has called into question the operations of the department. Allegations range from bullying to criminal activities. The letter has led to the appointment of an outside investigator...
Gun Crimes – What’s in a Name?
When a gunman in Texas slaughtered 26 people at a church this month, it was discovered – apparently to no one’s surprise – that the man’s choice of weapons was an AR-15. The specific version was the Ruger AR-556. It was invented in the 1950’s, is a semiautomatic...
DUI Drug Charges Becoming More Common in Arizona
A report issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association says that drug impairment is becoming more and more of a problem on the nation’s highways. The primary fact used to reach this conclusion is that back in 2015, a higher percentage of drivers involved in fatal...
Arizona Criminal Law Developments in 2017
Although Arizona is known as one of the most conservative states in the country, not all the news coming out of the legislature is based on right-wing theory. What follows are some of the changes this year in our criminal laws. Some, you might find, are surprisingly...
Despite Conviction, then Pardon, Arpaio’s Legacy Continues
After all that’s happened with former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, you might conclude that some of the major faults leveled at the MCSO were entirely Joe’s doing. We’re talking, of course, about systematically discriminating against Hispanics, racial profiling,...
Hate Crimes Rise Sharply in 2017 – Phoenix Leads the Pack
To the surprise of nearly no one, hate crimes in major United States cities are up significantly in 2017. The most recent figures come from figures compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State Bernardino. According to their findings, the...
DACA and Fact Check on Immigrant Crime
With DACA being blamed, on one level or another, for part of the supposed immigrant crime problem, it seems fitting to take a look at the issue of immigrant crime, as well as how DACA works. In that way, you can decide for yourself whether some of the attacks on...
Arizona Ranked Toughest in the Nation on DUI
There have been many studies on the question of which states are the toughest – or the most lenient – on drunk drivers. And while the methodology used is different from one study to the other, Arizona consistently ranks at or near the top in terms of which states have...
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio Guilty of Criminal Contempt!
There’s a quote attributed to former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Back in 2009, he reportedly told an interviewer, “I don’t bow down to the federal government.” Joe apparently took his own advice, but it’s landed him in a heap of trouble. Arpaio has a history...