Recent Blog Posts in February 2010

A Tucson man is facing multiple charges after he kidnapped an 11-year-old girl who was on her way to school.

According to police, the girl and her 9-year-old sister were walking to school when they were approached by the suspect. The suspect was able to drag the older girl into his vehicle and drive away.

Neighbors who saw the incident take place called 911 and one person was able to follow the suspect’s car and get a partial plate number and vehicle description.

The police later found the girl, battered, at a nearby park. The suspected was found and arrested at his home. He has since been charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery, and attempted sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 15.

As you can imagine, this suspect faces many years in prison and may be ordered to register as a sex offender if he is ultimately convicted. If you or a loved one is facing similar charges, it’s important to contact an attorney right away. Backed by years of experience, the Knowles Law Firm is more than capable of defending you against your charges, and has represented numerous clients against all types of crimes. If you are interested in learning more about working with a Phoenix criminal defense attorney at our office, please call (888) 332-5621 or (302) 702-5431 to arrange a consultation.

Six people were arrested after police raided what turned out to be a drug stash house in West Phoenix.

A task force led by the Arizona Department of Public Safety raided the house last week after police received a 911 call. After raiding what they thought was just a drop house, police soon discovered a large stash of marijuana—400 pounds to be exact.

Also recovered in the raid were two semiautomatic handguns and an assault rifle.

According the Department of Public Safety, six people were taken into custody and booked on possession of marijuana for sale and misconduct involving weapons.

Arizona may soon adopt a new law that would prohibit drivers from reading, writing, or sending emails or text messages while driving on a state highway. It does not, however, prohibit talking on the phone while driving, and drivers are permitted to type in a name or number to make a call.

The bill was recently approved by committee members and now moves to the full senate for review.

Any driver found in violation would be subject to a $50 fine, unless they caused an accident, in which case the fine would be $200.

A similar measure almost passed last year, but was just one vote shy in the Senate.

This year, the bill is being sponsored by Republican Senator Al Melvin, who says he is convinced the law will help save lives. According to AAA, people who text while driving are 23 times more likely to get in an accident or narrowly avoid an accident than those who do not text and drive. 

Linda Gorman, a spokeswoman for AAA, said the company plans to lobby the congress in Arizona in an effort to secure a nationwide ban on texting while driving by 2013.

So far 19 states and Washington D.C. have adopted similar laws. In Arizona, texting while driving is only illegal in Phoenix. If the bill passes, texting while driving will be banned in all areas of the state.

If you were cited for driving while texting in Phoenix, you should know there are ways you can fight your ticket to avoid paying a fine and getting points assessed to your driving record. A  Phoenix criminal defense lawyer at the Knowles Law Firm can provide you with experienced representation and help you contest your ticket.

To speak with an attorney at the firm, please  contact the office by calling (888) 332-5621 or (602) 702-5431!

U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested a Nogales woman who allegedly tried to smuggle 1.5 pounds of crystal meth across the Arizona border in a powered milk can.

The woman, whose name was not immediately available for release, was arrested last week. Border patrol was screening pedestrians at the Nogales entry port and thought the woman looked suspicious.

Upon searching the woman they found a plastic bag of crystal meth hidden inside the bottom of a milk can. Officers believe the street value of the meth is more than $70,000.

Border patrol seized the drugs and the woman was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She faces further investigation and will likely be prosecuted on drug smuggling and drug possession charges.

Contact a Phoenix Drug Defense Attorney for Help!

Drug smuggling is one of the most serious drug crimes you can be charged with. Drug smuggling is a federal offense, which means you will face intense prosecution by U.S. attorneys who are backed by years of experience and seemingly endless resources from the U.S. government, including assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI, and federal immigration authorities. When faced with drug smuggling charges, you need a Phoenix drug crime defense lawyer who can protect your best interests and aggressively defend you against the charges at hand. To learn more about the drug defense services offered at the Knowles Law Firm, P.C., please contact the office today, toll free, by calling (888) 332-5621.

Teens in Arizona may soon face criminal charges for “sexting,” a term used to describe sharing explicit photos, videos, or chats through a text message or online.

On Wednesday, a state Senate panel endorsed a bill that would result in misdemeanor charges for any minor found sending nude or explicit pictures of themselves to others, or for having or keeping such pictures on their cell phones. The law also makes it a misdemeanor offense to pass around explicit photos to anyone other than the intended recipient.

The vote in the Public Safety and Human Services Committee was unanimous, and the bill now moves to the full Senate.

The bill also gives prosecutors the option of holding teenagers accountable for their actions without charging them with child pornography—a much more serious offense. If a teen were to be convicted of child pornography, they could be ordered to register as a sex offender, possibly for life.

The bill focuses solely on underage “sexters.” An adult with explicit photos or materials of a minor still faces felony child pornography charges.

If your son or daughter has been arrested for sexting, a Phoenix criminal defense attorney who not only has experience defending clients against sex crimes, but who also has practice in juvenile defense, can provide your child with the skilled representation and dedicated legal counsel he or she needs during this unsettling time. To learn more, contact the Knowles Law Firm, P.C. today.

An Ahwatukee Foothills woman accused of embezzlement struck a plea deal that will spare her from going to jail.

Laurie Bassett was charged with embezzling money from Dobson Academy, the Chandler charter school where she worked as the finance manager.  On January 22 she pleaded guilty and was placed on supervised probation. She was also ordered to repay the $20,233 she stole from the school.

Police say Laurie created fake invoices for janitorial supplies and wrote checks to herself and her husband for the amount listed on the invoice. When the checks returned to the school, she would "white out" their names and replace them with names of janitorial vendors.

Bassett’s husband, James Bassett, was also arrested for allegedly cashing over $11,000 in fraudulent checks.  He turned himself in around the time his wife pleaded guilty. He claims he took the money because he lost money on an irrigation job he did for the school, and that this was his way of recouping the money he lost after the school refused to work out a deal with him.

The school caught on to the scheme after an audit revealed a 300 percent increase in janitorial supply purchases.