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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 18, 2011 9:42 am

According to Mike Erfert, Spokesman for the Yuma Fire Department, two (2) school buses parked at the Yuma Schools Transportation Consortium yards were intentionally set fire.  On Thursday, at approximately 3:30 a.m., firefighters responded to the fire and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other buses in the yard.  The Yuma Police Department is asking anyone with information about the fire to contact them.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1703, “A person commits arson of a structure or property by knowingly and unlawfully damaging a structure or property by knowingly causing a fire or explosion.”  Under Arizona law, charges for arson of property depend on the value of the property: arson of property valued at less than one hundred dollars is a Class 1 misdemeanor, arson of property between one hundred dollars and one thousand dollars is a Class 5 felony, and arson of property valued at more than one thousand dollars is a Class 4 felony.  Penalties for arson in Arizona also depend on the value of the property and range from probation to 2.5 years in prison for a first offense.

If you have been charged with arson, contact the Scottsdale criminal lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your criminal case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 15, 2011 8:38 am

According to Glendale Police, thirty-eight-year-old (38) Patrick Morrow was charged with aggravated assault after an incident that occurred at the Pink Cabaret, a strip club near 69th Avenue and Northern.  On Sunday, at approximately midnight, a woman told Police that Mr. Morrow held her against a wall causing her to pass out.  Mr. Morrow told Police that he yelled at the woman and grabbed her by her collar because he was upset that she gave another man a lap dance.  The woman was transported to a local hospital.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1204, “A person commits aggravated assault if the person commits assault . . . under any of the following circumstances: (1) If the person causes serious physical injury to another . . . .” Under Arizona law, aggravated assault can be charged as a Class 5 to Class 2 Felony that may result in penalties of five (5) to fifteen (15) years in prison for the first conviction, ten (10) to twenty (20) years in prison for the second conviction, and fifteen (15) to twenty-five (25) years in prison for the third conviction.

If you have been charged with aggravated assault, contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Law Firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. today!

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 13, 2011 5:13 pm

According to Dwight D’Evelyn, media coordinator for the Yavapai County Sherriff’s Office, forty-five-year-old (45) Oscar Miranda-Villalobos has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly pulling his estranged wife from a parked car and stabbing her multiple times.  On Saturday evening, Mr. Villalobos’ estranged wife was sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend when the accused pulled her from the vehicle and repeatedly stabbed her with a “carving-type knife” in the back, hands and torso.  Mr. Villalobos fled the scene after the boyfriend struck him in the head with a shovel. When Officers arrived at the scene, Mr. Villalobos’ wife was bleeding heavily but was in stable condition. Police located Mr. Villalobos a short time later, had him treated for a head wound and then booked him into the Camp Verde Detention Center with bail set at $750,000.  Mr. Villalobos’ son said his father was upset that his wife had left him and was in a relationship with someone else.  Mr. Villalobos’ son said his father was accused of threatening his mother prior to the attack.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1001, “A person commits attempt if, acting with the kind of culpability otherwise required for commission of an offense such person: Intentionally engages in conduct which would constitute an offense if the attendant circumstances were as such person believes them to be . . .  .” Under Arizona law, “attempt is a: (1) Class 2 Felony if the offense attempted is a Class 1 Felony; (2) Class 3 Felony if the offense attempted is a Class 2 Felony; (3) Class 4 Felony if the offense attempted is a Class 3 Felony . . . .”

Conviction of attempted murder may result in penalties such as seventy (70) months to 162 months in prison, fines and criminal record and will be based on the severity of the crime, the defendant’s prior history, premeditation, and the type of weapon used to commit the crime.

If you have been charged with attempted murder, contact the Phoenix criminal defense lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your criminal case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 11, 2011 8:18 am

On Wednesday, seventy-year-old (70) Andres Mendoza, an assistant on a special-needs school bus in Phoenix, was arrested and faces charges of sexual conduct with a minor and child molestation.  According to Phoenix Police, Mr. Mendoza, who had worked for the Washington School District for seven (7) years, was reported by the bus driver he was aiding after the driver saw Mr. Mendoza fondling the student.  The bus’ video surveillance was reviewed by Detectives from the Family Investigations Bureau’s Child Crimes Unit where the Detectives witnessed Mr. Mendoza touching the victim on top of and underneath of her clothing.  The Victim was interviewed by Detectives at which time Detectives learned that Mr. Mendoza had been fondling the Victim since June 27th.  Mr. Mendoza told Police that he touched the Victim but said he was merely “playing around” with the Child.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1405, “A person commits sexual conduct with a minor by intentionally or knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with any person who is under the age of eighteen.” Under this statute, sexual conduct with a child under the age of fifteen (15) is a Class 2 Felony, and sexual conduct with a minor who is fifteen years of age or older is a Class 6 Felony.  The penalties for sexual conduct with a minor vary depending on the age of the offender and the age of the victim: (1) If the child abuse victim is fifteen (15) years or older, the offense is punishable by one (1) year in prison; (2) If the offender is at least eighteen (18) years of age or is tried as an adult and the child abuse victim is between the ages of twelve (12) and fourteen (14), the presumptive sentence is twenty (20) years in prison; and (3) If the offender is at least eighteen (18) years of age or is tried as an adult and the child abuse victim is age twelve (12) or younger, the offense is punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole until the offender has served thirty-five (35) years in prison. In addition, conviction of a sex offense in Arizona may require lifelong sex offender registration.

If you have been charged with sexual conduct with a minor, contact the Phoenix child abuse attorneys at the child abuse law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your child abuse case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 8, 2011 8:01 am

(1)    Patients and Caregivers are allowed 2.5 ounces of marijuana;

(2)    If approved to grow marijuana, the patient is limited to growing twelve (12) plants, and the plants must be grown in an “enclosed, locked facility;”

(3)    Caregivers must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, pass a criminal background check; serve not more than five (5) patients, and keep a card for each patient;

(4)    Caregivers may receive reimbursements from their patients for actual expenses only;

(5)    Medical Marijuana cards for both patients and caregivers last for up to one (1) year and will have the person’s name, photograph, address, date of birth, and indication of whether the person is approved to grow marijuana in his or her home;

(6)    Caregivers and patients are required to submit fingerprints to law enforcement and sign a statement that they will not provide marijuana to non-patients;

(7)    Caregivers and patients may share marijuana with other patients free of charge as long as they do not knowingly cause the patient to exceed the allotted 2.5 ounces;

(8)    Not-for-profit medical marijuana dispensaries have been legalized under the law;

(9)     A patient living within twenty-five (25) miles of a medical marijuana dispensary may not grow his or her own marijuana;

(10) Caregivers and Patients may not possess medical marijuana on school grounds, a school bus or in a correctional facility, and patients may not smoke marijuana in a public place or on public transportation.

If you have been charged with a crime, contact the criminal law attorneys at the criminal defense law firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 6, 2011 8:28 am

On July 20^th, 2011, four (4) new gun bills will take effect in Arizona:

(1)   A hunting bill, sponsored by Senator Frank Antenori, will prevent cities, towns and counties from prohibiting hunting.  The bill does, however, allow them to restrict a person from discharging a firearm within a quarter of a mile of an occupied structure. Under this law, the state Game and Fish Department will have the authority to decide hunting rules and hunting boundaries.  In support of the bill, Senator Anetori said municipalities are continuing to prepare land for future growth which is “taking away a lot of hunting land.”

(2)   House Bill 2146, sponsored by David Burnell Smith, removes the requirement that gun instructors, authorized by either the Department of Public Safety or the National Rifle Association, submit a fee and fingerprints for background checks. Additionally, current law requires those seeking a permit to carry to apply with a certificate obtained within the past five (5) years.  However, the new law will allow those seeking a permit to carry a gun to apply with a certificate older than one obtained in the past five (5) years.  Although people twenty-one (21) and older have been able to carry a concealed weapon without a permit since July 29, 2010, some people still apply for permits, and this law reduces some of the requirements for permit-holders and instructors.  Representative Smith said it is still an advantage to carry a permit because there are thirty-two (32) other states in which the permit will provide privileges to those who have a one.

(3)   Jack Harper sponsored a bill to repeal an Arizona statute that prohibits persons from carrying a firearm in a wildlife refuge to align state law with federal law which allows legal owners of firearms to carry guns in wildlife refuges and national parks.

(4)   House Bill 2645 allows individuals stripped of firearm privileges due to a history of mental illness to appeal the decision.  Specifically, the Bill provides petitioners with the right to request an evidentiary hearing at which they can present character witnesses and records to show mental stability.

If you have been convicted of a gun-related crime, contact the Scottsdale criminal defense lawyers at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your criminal case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, July 1, 2011 7:31 am

On Monday, thirty-one-year-old (31) Quadir Al-Amin was sentenced to 142 years in prison for killing sixteen-year-old (16) Melissa Vigil.  On October 7, 2008, Mr. Al-Amin was standing on the corner of 19th Avenue and Southern with fellow gang members when a vehicle in which Ms. Vigil was a passenger drove past the gang members and slowed down.  The driver of the vehicle then began backing up because he had missed his turn.  Mr. Al-Almin and his fellow gang members assumed the passengers in the vehicle were rival gang members preparing for a drive-by-shooting, and began firing at the vehicle killing Ms. Vigil.  Police found the rifle used to kill Ms. Vigil in Mr. Al-Almin’s home a few days after the shooting.  In April, Mr. Al-Amin was convicted of second-degree murder, gang-related charges and aggravated assault.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-2321, “A person commits participating in a criminal street gang by any of the following: (1) Intentionally organizing, managing, directing, supervising or financing a criminal street gang with the intent to promote or further the criminal objectives of the criminal street gang . . . .” Under Arizona law, participating in a street gang is a Class 2 Felony. Further, a person involved in a gang-related crime that results in a felony conviction will not be eligible for a reduced sentence.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1104, “A person commits second-degree murder if without premeditation: (1) The person intentionally causes the death of another person . . . .”  Under Arizona law, second-degree murder is a Class 1 Felony that requires a mandatory prison sentence of ten (10) to twenty-two (22) years in prison.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1204, “A person commits aggravated assault if the person commits assault . . .  under any of the following circumstances . . . (2) If the person uses a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument . . . .” Under Arizona law, aggravated assault is a Class 3 Felony. However, if the victim of the assault is under the age of fifteen (15), the assault will be considered a Class 2 Felony.  In Arizona, aggravated assault will likely result in five (5)  to fifteen (15) years in prison for the first conviction, ten (10) to twenty (20) years in prison for the second conviction, and fifteen (15) to twenty-five (25) years in prison for the third conviction.

If you are facing gang-related felony charges, contact the Arizona lawyers at the Law Firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, June 29, 2011 7:05 am

Earlier this month, according to Arizona State University (ASU) Police, a man entered a dorm room on ASU’s Tempe campus pretending to be a Police Officer.  On June 11th, at approximately 3 a.m., the man entered an unlocked dorm room occupied by a female resident.  Police said the man told the woman he was a Police Officer in training.  The man then searched the female’s dorm room for drugs. When he was finished, the man left the woman’s room without harming her.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-2411, “A person commits impersonating a peace officer if the person, without lawful authority, pretends to be a peace officer and engages in any conduct with the intent to induce another to submit to the person’s pretending authority or to rely on the person’s pretended acts.”  Under Arizona law, impersonating a peace officer is a Class 6 Felony.  However, impersonating a peace officer during the commission of certain felonies such as negligent homicide, manslaughter, second-degree murder, first-degree murder, assault, aggravated assault, sexual abuse, sexual assault, or violent sexual assault is a Class 4 Felony. In Arizona, the penalty for impersonating a peace officer may include fines, probation and imprisonment.

If you are facing felony charges for impersonating a peace officer, contact the Phoenix criminal defense attorneys at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for aggressive criminal defense representation.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, June 27, 2011 8:30 am

Eighteen-year-old (18) Martwain Mackey has been charged with first-degree murder and two (2) counts of child abuse for killing his girlfriend’s three-year-old (3) daughter and abusing her one-year-old (1) daughter.  On Saturday, at approximately 2 a.m., Mr. Mackey called Police from a payphone near 15th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.  When Police arrived, Mr. Mackey was carrying the unresponsive three-year-old (3) girl.  Phoenix Police Sergeant Steve Martos said it was immediately evident to Officers that the girl had been abused.  Sergeant Martos said, “She had extensive injuries, severe injuries.”  Officers found the one-year-old (1) girl in a nearby apartment with her mother who was asleep.  The one-year-old (1) was transported to the hospital with injuries but was in stable condition.  Mr. Martos told Police that he watches the girls at night while his girlfriend is at work.  Mr. Martos also told Police he had been dating the girlfriend for six (6) months, but Police are not certain as to how long Mr. Martos had been abusing the girls.  Sergeant Martos said the Police will continue to investigate and may bring additional charges as new facts come to light.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-3623, a person who “Under circumstances likely to produce death or serious physical injury” either (1) causes a child to suffer physical injury; (2) causes or permits the child to be injured; or (3) causes or permits a child to be placed in a situation where the child’s health is endangered may be found guilty of a Class 2, Class 3 or Class 4 felony depending on whether the person acted intentionally, recklessly or negligently. Under Arizona law, the punishment for child abuse varies depending on the severity of the charge.  For example, if the offense is charged as a “Dangerous Crime Against Children,” the person will face mandatory imprisonment of ten (10) to twenty-four (24) years.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1105, “A person commits first degree murder if: intending or knowing that the person’s conduct will cause death, the person causes the death of another person . . . .”  Under this statute, first degree murder is a Class 1 Felony that may result in penalties such as twenty-five (25) years to life in prison without the possibility of parole, life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. 

If you are facing child abuse charges, contact the Phoenix child abuse attorneys at Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your child abuse case.

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By Beauchamp Law Office, June 24, 2011 8:01 am

On Sunday evening, thirty-four-year-old (34) Jimmie Donald Jr. was arrested by Tempe Police for fatally stabbing his nephew, twenty-nine-year-old (29) Dexter Donald Jr.  At approximately 7:30 p.m., Officers responded to an emergency call reporting a stabbing near University Drive and Smith Road in Tempe.  Police arrested Mr. Donald as he was attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle.  According to Tempe Police Spokesman Sergeant Steve Carbajal, twenty-nine-year-old (29) Brent Hatathlie, a friend of Mr. Donald’s nephew, was also stabbed but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.  Mr. Donald was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and is being held in Tempe City Jail.  Sergeant Carbajal said Police do not yet know the motive for the stabbing.

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 13-1104, “A person commits second-degree murder if without premeditation: (1) The person intentionally causes the death of another person . . . .”  Under Arizona law, second-degree murder is a Class 1 Felony that requires a mandatory prison sentence of ten (10) to twenty-two (22) years in prison.

If you have been charged with second-degree murder, contact the best criminal defense lawyers at the Law Firm Beauchamp Law Office P.C. for assistance with your criminal case.