Ever wonder what you should expect if you’re discovered to be in possession (not for sale) of marijuana by a member of Arizona’s law enforcement?  Here’s a breakdown:

Amount  –>  Severity  –>  Incarceration  –>  Fine

• Less than 2 lbs.  –> Misdemeanor or felony –> 6 months – 2 years –> $750 – $150,000
• 2 lbs. – 4 lbs. –> Felony –> Up to 2 years –> $750 – $150,000
• 4 lbs. or more –> Felony –> 1 year – 3.75 years –> $750 – $150,000
• Near school or bus –> Felony –> Additional 1 year –> $2,000 – $150,000

If you’re convicted of personal possession or use of marijuana, you are eligible for probation and the court is required to suspend the imposition or execution of the sentence. While on probation, you must participate in an appropriate drug treatment or education program and may be required to attend a more stringent treatment program and serve one year in jail for a second offense.

If convicted of a third or subsequent offense, you are not eligible for probation. You must also submit to urine drug tests as a condition of your probation.  Of course, if you have a medical prescription, and a small amount of marijuana, you are exempt from the above.

If you’ve been charged with marijuana possession without a prescription, the attorneys at Petersen Johnson can answer your questions during a free initial consultation.

Author: T Jacobs

It’s important to know that simple assault charges in Arizona are taken very seriously and the punishment increases with the severity of the assault, as well as the number of convictions you’ve had.

A misdemeanor assault (as described in the story above) is punishable by up to one year in prison, along with a $2,500 fine.  This level of assault is specifically defined as:

• Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing any physical injury to another person; or
• Intentionally placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury; or
• Knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult or provoke such person.

Additionally, endangerment can also be classified as a misdemeanor in Arizona.  This includes a situation where a person’s actions recklessly endangering another person with a substantial risk of physical injury.

It’s important to know how Arizona law enforcement may react to your actions.  Instead of taking physical action against a stranger or anyone, call 911 immediately and get you and your family to a safe location until help arrives.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of having committed an assault, contact the attorneys at Petersen Johnson for a free consultation.  We protect YOUR rights.

- T. Jacobs

Filing a report with the police helps to protect all parties involved, helps prevent fraudulent claims and legal ramifications. Reporting an accident to the police is generally part of any insurance company’s accident protocol.

Additionally, it is incredibly important to report any accidents that you witness. As a bystander, your perspective could be invaluable to those investigating simply because you would be unbiased and, for the most part, emotionally uncompromised.

When you are involved in or witness an auto accident, follow these procedures:

1. Make sure it is safe for you to leave the area where the accident has happened. It may too dangerous to exit your car.
2. Stay at the scene of the accident until the police have come and gone. Make sure to get the name of the officer and provide them with your account of the event.
3. Get the information of all involved, including their names, addresses and insurance carrier.
4. Report the accident to your insurance company.

If you have further questions, call Petersen Johnson for our free initial consultation.

Symptoms of whiplash affect your overall senses and body comfort. Symptoms might not occur for hours, days or even weeks after the accident. If you are involved in an accident, it’s important to follow up with your primary physician as soon as possible to see if any medical attention is needed.

Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Headaches, head and neck pains, stiff neck, muscle spasms
• Restricted head motion
• Equilibrium problems, loss of hearing, ringing in the ears and eyestrain
• Inability to concentrate, poor memory
• Pain between the shoulders, low back pains, tremors, rapid heartbeat

If you’re involved in a car accident but cannot afford medical attention, call Petersen Johnson to get help with a doctor who will await payment.

First, talk with your insurance company. Most homeowner’s insurance companies have a liability policy in place for dog bites. See what it would cover in case your dog bit someone and what sort of legal action can be taken against you.  If you don’t have coverage, get it. Don’t admit any liability or offer to pay any expenses before you talk with your insurance company in the event of an incident.

Some insurance companies may require that your dog attend obedience training, similar to how insurance companies require new teenage drivers attend traffic school. This measure is done to help make sure that you have worked with your dog to prevent an incident from occurring. Obedience training will also help prevent accidents involving children and adults.

Take the necessary measures to insure that you, your family and your furry friend are protected from accidents.

In all 50 states, the legal limit for your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08. This is still too vague to know how much is too much, because a woman weighing only 120 pounds can reach .08 with only 2 servings of alcohol where a 180 pound man can reach .08 in 4. Let’s look at the science and feel of it all.

When you reach a BAC level of 0.020 a few subtle changes occur. At this level the body starts to relax and experience a decline in visual function and the ability to multi-task. While this BAC usually occurs with only one serving of alcohol – the equivalent to one shot of liquor or a five-ounce glass of wine or one beer – in an emergency situation reaction times can be slowed.

When you reach a BAC level of 0.050 you can experience exaggerated behavior, loss of small muscle control, an inability to focus your eyes quickly, impaired judgment, and a release of inhibitions.  This can reduce your coordination behind the wheel, reducing your ability to safely operate a vehicle.  This is especially true in a high risk or emergency situation.

The drug classifications in Arizona are: dangerous drugs, narcotics and marijuana. A conviction for any of these can get you heavy fines and jail times.

• Dangerous drugs include: LSD, methamphetamines, steroids, ecstasy, mescaline, lorazepam, hallucinogenic mushrooms, GHB and clonazepam
• Narcotics are: heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, opium, morphine and more.
• Marijuana is also known as weed or pot.

Both Possession of Dangerous Drugs and Possession of Narcotic Drugs are class 4 felonies. A conviction for either can result in a prison sentence, jail time, and/or fines up to $150,000.00. Possession of Marijuana is a felony in Arizona and the class of felony is dependent on how much marijuana is being possessed. The more marijuana possessed, the higher the felony classification and the more prison time one could be sentenced to in addition to higher fines.

Just being arrested for possession of drugs, without being charged or convicted, can stay on your record making getting a job and other legal matters more difficult. The safest and smartest thing to do is to stay away from drugs and those using or possessing drugs so that you are not accused of being in possession or use of drugs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 5,000 people are killed and tens of thousands more are injured each year in motorcycle accidents. When these deaths and injuries occur due the negligence or recklessness of another driver, the motorcycle operator will file a claim for the resulting personal injuries.

The first step is to visit a personal injury lawyer who has experience handling motorcycle accident cases. After going over the details of your case, he will be able to tell you whether or not you have a good case. If he takes the case, he will first try to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company of the other driver.

The majority of these accident claims result in a settlement. A settlement occurs when both parties agree on a certain dollar amount in exchange for the injured party agreeing to bring no further legal action.

If a settlement cannot be reached, a lawsuit can be filed.  In litigation you will need to prove that the other driver was responsible for the accident and that the injuries or losses that you suffered were the direct result of their negligence.

It’s important to choose an accident attorney lawyer with experience handling motorcycle accident cases and who has a proven track record of winning.

1. Distractions cause accidents; there is just no way around it. We all have been next to or behind the person talking on their phone, texting or putting on make-up who is swerving all over the road. Don’t be that person, don’t get distracted.
2. Before getting in the car make sure you are ready to go. Have your make-up on, tie tied, teeth brushed and hair combed. Make sure you have a few tools with you to not distract you as well. Have a wireless head set in the car.  Have a travel mug so not to spill as you go. And before pulling out of your parking spot set your radio, put in your CD or plug in your MP3 player. Trying to set this up while driving can be a serious hazard.
3. Make sure you have your eyes checked regularly. Drivers who have difficulty seeing or suffer from headaches because of eye strain are more likely to get in accidents. If it is recommended by your eye doctor to wear glasses for distance, wear your glasses every time you drive.
4. A lot of drivers fall victim to road rage. This is a psychological issue connected to what the driver is dealing with in their personal life. How do you avoid it? If you are the driver, take a few deep breaths and play soothing music.  If you witness this from someone else, let him or her pass you by. Engaging with someone by blocking them in, swerving in their way or engaging in hand gestures doesn’t make the situation better.

Our dependence on cars as a society has forced us to have to deal with people from different walks of life and situations on a daily bases. Endangering lives because of carelessness and foolishness is unnecessary, expensive and dangerous.

Choosing the right criminal defense attorney could be the most important decision you ever make. You need to take into account several areas of concern including:

• Experience
• Past Results
• Fee Structure
• Negotiation Skills

At Petersen Johnson, we treat every person differently, as each case has special needs and unique situations. Our criminal defense attorney will research, investigate and review every case personally. We will evaluate your case and defend it in every possible way. However, keep in mind that we will first attempt to settle your case.

A resolution or settlement is the result of what is commonly known as “plea bargaining.” People enter into a plea bargain for many reasons. It is not always because they are guilty. Often times a person wants the case to simply “go away” as quickly as possible and as painlessly as possible. Other times, a person is accused of many charges and enters into a settlement so that many of the charges are dropped in exchange for accepting responsibility for one.

Most people want their case settled and most cases can be settled. Consider settling when you can settle your case in a manner acceptable to you before taking on a costly trial.

If your case cannot be settled or you are not satisfied with the proposed settlement, you can decide to proceed to trial. In most cases a flat fee is charged. This means you will not be charged on an hourly basis. You will also know the exact fee for each portion of your criminal case. If your case requires legal services beyond the initial settlement fee, then you will be quoted additional fees for those services up-front.