Divorces don’t happen overnight, but some cases certainly last longer – and cost more – than others. The duration of your divorce depends on your unique circumstances. In particular, there are three factors that can cause delays in your proceedings:
[Read more…] about Chandler Family Lawyer Discusses 3 Issues That Can Delay Your Divorce Proceedings
Fraud, and the many types of crimes woven around it, can make for a fascinating story in a movie or a novel. It’s a category of crime involving people and deception. But here in the real world, where I practice criminal defense law, the subject of fraud is a very serious, often life-changing one.
You may only be familiar with the definition of fraud in terms of something being false, or fake. In criminal law terms, fraud can take many forms. I want to discuss these types of criminal charges, and their penalties here in Arizona. Here is a brief breakdown:
Credit card theft is a Class 5 felony, and even a first offense includes jail time.
Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card can be misdemeanor or felony, depending on whether you are using the card or receiving anything purchased with an illegally obtained card. Jail or prison time is mandatory.
Forgery is a Class 4 felony. Making, altering, or possessing a forged document, or trying to pass one off as legal or genuine, carries a prison sentence even for first-time offenders.
Obtaining a Signature by Deception: Obtaining someone’s signature with intent to defraud, or misrepresenting any information to obtain it is a Class 1 misdemeanor, but carries penalties of prison time and fines.
Identity Theft, a Class 4 felony, is so prevalent in Arizona that it is treated very seriously in legal channels. The penalties for stealing/using another person’s identity include prison time plus additional charges for any fraud/forgery crimes committed using another person’s name.
Criminal Impersonation can refer to persons using false identification to obtain employment, and can be charged as a Class 6 felony or a Class 1 misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances. In any case, jail/prison time is incurred.
I believe that only in books and movies should you ever see someone facing fraud charges defending themselves in a court of law. It may make for interesting drama, but it may not be the best choice you can make. Call Zachary Law Group for a FREE 30-minute case evaluation. Our experienced attorneys will go to work asserting and protecting your legal rights in court. When we “Zach-It!” you’ll know we are working toward the best possible resolution to your case. Contact us today at 1-855-Zach-law.
When someone is convicted on a DUI charge here in Arizona, the penalties can include jail time, monetary fines, required community service, driver’s license suspension, and drug/alcohol testing, counseling and education – just to name a few.
Sometimes, just the suggestion of incarceration or a felony conviction is enough to keep a person on the straight and narrow. But for some people, the most frightening punishment of all is the financial kind. So let’s talk about DUI strictly in monetary terms.
Here is the tally of possible fines for an initial DUI conviction:
That adds up to just under $1500, but additional fines are also possible. This amount does not include court imposed surcharges, court imposed counseling fees, Mothers Against Drunk Driving course fee, or interlock fee, just to name a few. With a first time DUI conviction you could easily pay $2,000 or more.
For a second conviction, the fines can jump quite a bit higher:
The fines for a third and/or Aggravated DUI conviction are yet steeper.
My point here is that a DUI conviction can have disastrous financial consequences in addition to possible criminal penalties. The best way to avoid it all is to not get behind the wheel if you are in any way at risk.
Should you find yourself in need of help with a DUI-related legal problem, contact an experienced attorney at Zachary Law Group. Not only do we offer a FREE 30-minute case evaluation, we dedicate ourselves to finding the best possible solution to your case. Let us help you “Zach-It.” Put the power of the law on your side, to assert and protect your rights. Call us today at 1-855-Zach-law.
Nearly everyone has watched courtroom shows on TV. Whether it’s a celebrity judge holding court or an award-winning primetime series, there’s plenty of entertainment and sometimes shocking drama as the verdict – and the sentence – is delivered.
But in real life, the criminal justice system doesn’t work that way. Sometimes not even the judge has the last word. In Arizona, some sentencing guidelines for criminal penalties are set down as precisely as the IRS sets down the tax laws. Every category of offense, from drug offenses to domestic violence, and parole violations to felonies, is included in the guidelines.
If you are convicted of a crime in Arizona, the Criminal Code Sentencing Chart can give you an idea of the penalty and/or sentence you may be facing. You may think you know what to do, or what to say in court. But think: do you really want to risk it? This is a situation in which an experienced criminal defense attorney can help.
At Zachary Law Group, our approach to finding solutions to your legal problems is working together to “Zach-It!” We offer a FREE 30-minute case evaluation, so it’s probably in your best interest to contact us right away. The sooner you do, the sooner we can begin establishing and defending your legal rights.
Put the power of the law on your side. Call us today at 1-855-Zach-law.
Parents of Arizona college students far from home deserve the reassurance that a son or daughter will receive skilled local defense representation if he or she has run afoul of the law.
College-enrolled youngsters, especially underage freshman and sophomores enjoying their first taste of freedom, can allow behavior outside the classroom to get out of hand. A teenager’s false sense of invincibility can translate to wild parties, drug and alcohol use, a drunk driving arrest, a property crime, a disorderly conduct charge, violent crime or sex crime.
Nothing has changed from this standpoint either: parents worry. They need to know that when legal trouble arises, an experienced and sympathetic defense lawyer can handle every detail of a criminal case and spare them the worry and costs of travel to be with their minor child at a difficult time.
A versatile criminal and juvenile crimes defense attorney can also advocate for a young client before a student conduct board at school if expulsion or suspension is a possibility. Reinstatement to school is every bit as important in its own way as the need for reduction or dismissal of charges, or a lesser alternative punishment in the event of a conviction. A college or university student’s representative should do whatever he or she can to keep such an outcome off a client’s record, affording the accused a second chance while still sending a strong message that lawlessness at any level, at any age, is unacceptable.
Steven Zachary of The Zachary Law Group in Gilbert, Arizona, has the experience, deep belief in your student’s rights and negotiation skills that can accomplish all of these goals after a collegian’s arrest. Whether the infraction in question is relatively minor or a crime heinous enough that prosecutors will want to try him or her as an adult, Steven Zachary works hard to safeguard your minor’s interests, start to finish. His advocacy is designed to comfort a student’s out-of-state parents at every step of the legal process.
If your Arizona college student has been arrested for a serious criminal offense, keep in mind that every problem has a solution. The Zachary Law Group wants you, and your son or daughter, to kno
w that the law is on your side. Call experienced defense lawyer Steven Zachary today and take your worry away. 480-389-3533.
A financial crime is still a crime.
No, what you are accused of didn’t involve someone being struck with a car or truck, beaten or sexually abused. You have been charged with a white collar crime: an offense that implies you took financial advantage of an employer, business partner or constituent. And you face the same harsh consequences if you are convicted — state or federal court, substantial fines, a criminal record as a felon and harsh parole conditions after your release from incarceration.
A white collar crime covers offenses such as extortion, embezzlement, identity theft, a computer crime, a RICO violation, money laundering, bribery, forgery, one or more of the many kinds of fraud — mail, bank, health care, mortgage, securities and wire, among them — or public corruption, if you are an elected official.
Corrupt heads of corporations, public “servants” and business owners are indicted and convicted every day, for everything from insider trading to Ponzi schemes that ruin the lives of innocent investors.
If you are facing one or more of these serious charges, and the harsh penalties that come with it, right now the best thing you can do, for yourself and those closest to you, is to retain the most dedicated, energetic defense representation you can find in Greater Phoenix — a lawyer who will aggressively safeguard your interests, in and out of court.
Steven Zachary of the Zachary Law Group is a skilled, experienced, client-committed criminal defense attorney. He is dedicated to protecting the rights of his Arizona clients who have been accused of any white collar crime.
Steven Zachary wants you to know that every problem has a solution. You can postpone it, try to buy your way out of it, or you can … “Zach it.” The law is on your side. Call today and take your worry away with an initial consultation at Steven Zachary’s Gilbert law office. Call 480-389-3533.
Steven Zachary has over 30 years of legal experience serving the community and is considered among the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers.
