Sometimes horrible accidents just happen, but other times those accidents are a result of someone's action. Intent is an important factor for many actions, especially those actions considered a felony offense. What a person was thinking and how they performed or didn't perform an action can all be taken into account when charging someone with a crime.
Lawmaker faces criminal charges from alleged Navajo theft
The United States is a nation of laws. There are many who have problems with the laws as written or with their seeming lack of enforcement against the U.S.'s wealthier citizens. Regardless of one's personal opinion of the law, being charged with a felony offense is a serious situation that can completely change a person's life. Included in this list of serious criminal charges are those of white collar crimes.
Charges dropped against man accused of starting deadly fire
The law's reliance on science can sometimes cause more harm than good as faulty science leads to faulty results which can tear apart lives. Many of the crimes considered felony offenses under existing law are proved through science, eyewitness accounts or some other valid method. Arson is a crime that can have many unintended consequences on life and property as a small fire can easily and quickly rage out of control. A firebug may burn a building that was thought to be vacant only to later find out it was occupied and the arson becomes murder.
Arizona schoolteacher accused of misuse of public money
While felonies vary in their classification and punishments from state to state, the fact that a felony is a serious charge remains the same. Being charged with a felony offense can itself be a devastating experience. Employers may be quick to judge and place the accused on leave, or else find some unrelated reason to fire the individual at the first mention of a felony charge. One's reputation may also suffer as family and friends come to their own conclusion regarding the charge, either siding with or against the accused.
Free speech or felony?
Residents of Arizona enjoy a broad range of freedoms. One of the most fiercely protected freedoms is that of free speech. The line between what can result in a felony charge and what is protected free speech can be a fragile one turning on one or two facts. Even still Americans have the right to make very distasteful remarks and to share less than welcomed ideals and philosophies with others.
Exposing others to STIs could become a felony in Arizona
As many people will admit, almost any activity comes with its own set of risks. In today's world, one of the most natural acts carries with it the risk of life-long infections and even death. Millions of people every year are infected with some type of sexually transmitted infection. One Arizona senator is seeking to make knowingly passing on a STI a felony offense.
From misdemeanor to five felonies
People make mistakes every day. Sometimes these are harmless, innocent mistakes and other times they have the capacity to change a person's life. When a mistake leads to an arrest and criminal charge, Tucson readers should bear in mind that the last thing one should do is take action to make the situation worse. A misdemeanor is a serious charge but a felony conviction can change a person's life forever.
Mother charged with felonies in daughter's disappearance
The word felony is traditionally reserved for those crimes society views as more severe than others. A charge and subsequent felony conviction can have lifelong implications. The stigma associated with being charged with a felony can be magnified when it is a crime society finds appalling.
After drunk driving crash, Arizona man faces manslaughter charges
Arizona has a graduated system of penalties for drunk driving offenses. Depending on the number of prior DUI convictions within a certain number of years, a person could face increasingly more serious charges, including felony DUI. While the potential consequences get worse for defendants as they move up this graduated system, even the lowest-level charge is not a trifle. A first-time DUI charge in Arizona carries with it a mandatory minimum jail term.
Arizona law enforcement sweep results in over 25 arrests
"Operation Independence," a program designed to find and arrest fugitives, resulted in more than 25 arrests for alleged felony offenses. The initiative's law enforcement task force of 30 officers drew from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals and other agencies. The operation in Arizona targeted violent offenders for arrest.
