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By Beauchamp Law Office, March 25, 2011 8:15 am

A sixteen-year-old (16) girl has been charged with harassment for creating a Facebook page called “Stonewall Hoes” targeted at other girls at her high school, Stonewall Jackson High School.  According to authorities, the Facebook page, which has been removed from the website, contained pictures of nine (9) underage girls with “lewd” comments about the girls underneath of their pictures.  The teen is facing penalties such as fines and up to one year of jail time.  The charges are based on the comments underneath the pictures which were in violation of Virginia law that states “If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he shall be guilty of a Class one misdemeanor.”

Similar to Virginia, Arizona has a specific statute that prohibits cyberbullying: “It is unlawful for a juvenile to intentionally or knowingly use an electronic communication device to transmit or display a visual depiction of a minor that depicts explicit sexual material” A.R.S. § 8-309.   Under Arizona law, cyberbullying charges range from a petty offense to a Class 2 misdemeanor charge.

If you are facing misdemeanor charges of cyberbullying, contact the juvenile defense lawyers at the Scottsdale law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C.  The defense attorneys at the law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. are incredibly experienced in representing juveniles accused of juvenile crimes, and the juvenile defense attorneys at the Scottsdale law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. understand the devastating effects a juvenile crime charge can have on a child. Find an attorney at the top law firm in Arizona, Beauchamp Law Office P.C., for assistance with your cyberbullying misdemeanor charges.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, March 14, 2011 8:48 am

On July 1st, 2010, Arizona joined more than a dozen other states by creating a law that punishes the act of distributing sexually explicit images via cell phones, computers or other electronic devices.  This new law is aimed directly at juveniles and was designed in large part to discourage juveniles from “sexting.”  Under the law, a juvenile who “knowingly or intentionally uses an electronic communication device to transmit or display a sexually explicit depiction of a minor to one other person” may be found guilty of a petty offense and subject to penalties.  Specifically, a juvenile who distributes sexually explicit images will be fined a maximum of $300 for EACH inappropriate image he or she sends to another person.  If the image is sent to more than one person, the juvenile may be convicted of a class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $500 for EACH image and up to thirty days in jail.  Further, a juvenile found in violation of this law on more than one instance will be subject to increased penalties.  Additionally, under Arizona law, it is unlawful for a juvenile to merely possess a sexually explicit image of another juvenile.

To avoid prosecution under this law, a juvenile on the receiving end of a sexually explicit image should (1) destroy, eliminate, or delete the image, (2) report the image to a parent or guardian (3) refrain from forwarding or sharing this information with another individual.

If your child has been charged with “sexting,” contact a juvenile defense lawyer at the Phoenix law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C.  The juvenile defense lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. have a thorough understanding of the juvenile justice system because the Arizona lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. have successfully defended Arizona’s juveniles for over nineteen years. Specifically, the Arizona lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. have defended juveniles in areas such as theft crimes, sex crimes, violent crimes, truancy, assault and drug crimes.  Call a Phoenix lawyer at the Phoenix law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. today for assistance with your case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, March 7, 2011 10:50 am

Thirty-five-year-old (35) Sean Corwin is facing charges of possession of marijuana for sale, sale of marijuana to a minor, and possession of a firearm during a drug offense.  Mr. Corwin was arrested on suspicion of using his sixteen-year-old (16) son to sell marijuana to a fourteen-year-old (14) boy.  When officers arrested Mr. Corwin, he was banging on the front door of a home.  According to Police Sergeant Mark Ortega, Mr. Corwin accused the home’s occupants of taking $400 worth of marijuana from his son in a drug deal and refusing to pay for the marijuana.  Officers suspect Mr. Corwin had his sixteen-year-old (16) son sell the marijuana to a fourteen-year-old (14) boy, and the fourteen-year-old (14) ran to his home with the drugs without paying for them.  According to Sergeant Ortega, police officers found marijuana at the fourteen-year-old (14)  boy’s residence and also found two bags of marijuana at Mr. Corwin’s home.  Mr. Corwin’s son and the fourteen-year-old (14) boy were both taken to the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center, Durango Campus, and both are expected to face drug-related charges.

If your child has been arrested for the possession or sale of drugs, contact the Phoenix Arizona lawyers at the law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C.  The juvenile justice system is far different from the adult court system, and the juvenile courts follow rules, procedures and terminology that are specific to the juvenile system.  Because of this, it is essential to have an experienced juvenile defense lawyer who understands juvenile law and the juvenile court system. The juvenile defense lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. have nineteen years of experience representing juveniles, and the Phoenix Arizona lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. are incredibly knowledgeable in juvenile law.  Call a Phoenix Arizona lawyer at the law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. today.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, March 2, 2011 7:47 am

High School Blog Juvenile Defense

A Millennium High School student is facing charges of attempted murder and minor in possession of a weapon for bringing a loaded gun to campus on February 14th.  The ninth-grade student, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, said that he intended to shoot a teacher.  According to Goodyear police, the student also brought a gun to school on February 11th; however, on that occasion, the gun was not loaded.   Although students were aware of the gun on February 11th, they did not report it to school administrators because they knew it was not loaded.  According to Goodyear police, students did report the gun to administrators on February 14th, and within ten minutes the gun was secure. In response to the incident, the school scheduled a meeting at which parents and community members had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss ways to improve campus security.  Several parents suggested that the school install metal detectors and require students to use clear backpacks. However, Goodyear Police Officer Jason Costello referred to clear backpacks as a “feel good Band-aid” and called metal detectors a “logistical nightmare.”  Instead, Officer Costello suggested increasing the school’s mandatory lockdown drills from two a year to once a month.  According to Officer Costello, “When the drills do happen, half the doors don’t get locked and teachers don’t take it serious. That is unacceptable in my opinion as a parent. I know some people say its time consuming, but I think it will save lives.” 

When a juvenile is charged with an offense, the Court has the option of trying the child as a juvenile within the juvenile court system or trying the juvenile as an adult.  For example, in many circumstances, children charged with serious felonies are tried as adults.  However, the juvenile justice system is a much more appropriate place for most children because the juvenile justice system focuses on rehabilitating rather than punishing the child. In addition, in most cases, the record of the offense in the juvenile system is sealed; whereas, most adult records are open to the public.  Furthermore, children tried as adults are placed in the adult prison system which is an incredibly difficult place for a child.  For these reasons and many others, it is in the best interest of a juvenile charged with an offense to remain in the juvenile justice system.

If your child has been charged with a criminal offense, contact the juvenile defense lawyers at the criminal defense law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. today. The juvenile defense lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. believe that juveniles deserve the chance to live productive lives, and the defense attorneys at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. believe that the juvenile justice system affords children the best opportunity for rehabilitation.  Accordingly, the Arizona criminal defense lawyers at the criminal defense law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. work aggressively to keep children accused of offenses in the juvenile justice system, and the Arizona criminal defense lawyers at the law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. strive to get their juvenile clients the minimum sentence possible.