A Phoenix teenager was about to soar to the rank of Eagle Scout in his beloved Boy Scouts. The Sunnyslope High School sophomore had other passions in life, too, such as playing the clarinet, making his friends laugh and working hard to attain good grades.
Cinco de Mayo was celebrated a few days ago here in Phoenix, across the nation and south of the border. It’s a holiday commemorating El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla). As some readers undoubtedly know, that’s the 1862 battle in which the Mexican army routed French forces.
Have you ever awakened from a bad dream and for just a moment believed that the dream was real? Perhaps that’s what happened in Phoenix recently, when police responded to a call of a man sleeping in his car parked near Thomas Road and Avondale Boulevard.
When we read of a criminal who has done terrible things, it can be a relief to know that he will be locked up in an Arizona prison and away from society. In some cases, a life sentence with no possibility of parole is meted out for an especially brutal crime.
In some ways, it is the job of a criminal defense attorney to be a conduit to hope. An attorney can in many situations help a person who needs drug treatment rather than prison; counseling and rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Because Arizona has tough drug laws and harsh penalties for those who are impaired by drugs while driving, it can take a knowledgeable, skilled criminal defense lawyer to make a real difference in many situations.
