Rhode Island Criminal Defense Attorney Macktaz

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:00:00 +0000

Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island S. Joshua Macktaz

It does not matter if you have been arrested for grand theft auto or simply shoplifting in most cases a criminal offense is a criminal offense. You will still need to contact a Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island, and you will still need to go to court. While some may think that they are going to be charged guilty and do not need to contact a lawyer that is where we can assure you that is not your best course of action. There is a multitude of things that you Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island can do for you that you may not even know about.

Benefits of a Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island

When you go to court alone, you are likely going to be going up against another lawyer. In almost every case except you being a lawyer you are going to be at a disadvantage. When you have a Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island, you are going to have your best foot forward. Your Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island will also be able to go over your case and assess the best defense available. They will also be able to interview witnesses and obtain police records you may not be able to do yourself. Finally, if you are charged guilty, your Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island will be able to assist you with filing an appeal.

At the Law Office of Criminal Lawyer Rhode Island Joshua Macktaz we have the experience and drive to help you in court. We will leave no stone unturned when investigating your case and will make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that you can put your case behind you. We are available to meet at our office or wherever you have been detained. If you have been arrested and would like to contact us we are available at anytime at 401-861-1155.

Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:24:00 +0000

What is a Hardship License?

Until January 1st, 2015 you were not able to apply for a conditional hardship license in the state of Rhode Island. These special types of licenses all people who have been convicted of driving under the influence to operate their motor vehicle provided that they install an ignition interlock devices. You may be skeptical about how all this works and how exactly the process works but with the help of Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney you should be well on your way.

When you consider the fact that you can get a Hardship License you have to understand how to obtain one, who is eligible to get one, and how they differ from a regular driver's license. Before you start the process of trying to obtain one of these special permits you should consult with a Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney so that they can guide you. The first question you need to ask if am I eligible? You may be eligible to obtain a hardship license if you have an ignition interlock system installed in your car. So how do you obtain one? First you and your Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney must meet and petition for you to get a hardship license. This petition must be heard by a judge who will then passes judgment on whether or not you will receive your license. This is typically the case when you have the assistance of a Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney. Now that you have a Hardship License what can you do with it? When you have a hardship license, you will be able to use it for 12 hours per day because it is designed solely for you to get back and forth to work.

Contacting A Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney

If you think you may be eligible or are interested in more information about the Rhode Island, Hardship License contact us today. The Law Office of Joshua Macktaz specialize in DUI-related charges and is ready to help you at any time. Our Rhode Island Hardship License Attorney will work with you to make sure that you get the best results possible for your situation. We are available at anytime at 401-861-1155.

Four killed by woman threatened with eviction from California Indian reservation

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:55:00 +0000

This woman apparently lost any semblance of sanity during a tribal eviction. Luckily one of the victims escaped and ran to the police station. Residents of the city Alturas are in shock, as this type of crime had been unheard of prior to this massacre. Read the article below for more details...

An eviction hearing at an American Indian headquarters in North California turned bloody when a former tribal leader went berserk, killing four people and wounding two others, cops said.

Cherie Lash Rhoades, former chairwoman of Cedarville Rancheria, allegedly shot four people during the in the tribal office and a fifth person who tried to escape the mayhem.

After running out of bullets the bloodthirsty woman allegedly grabbed a butcher knife and stabbed a person.

The suspect was “systematically shooting individuals,” Barnes said.

“This is like nothing I have had to deal with in my 25 years of being with the city of Alturas. It's just tragic.”

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Rhoades herself was a former Rancheria tribal leader. The current leader was among the dead, authorities said.

When cops arrived on the scene Thursday afternoon Rhoades was running around in front of the building with the knife still in her hands, Alturas police chief Ken Barnes said.

A Rancheria employee helped tackle her and she was taken into custody, Barnes said. She faces murder and attempted murder charges.

The four dead include a 19-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, a 45-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man.

Barnes said one of the dead victims is the tribe's leader.

KRCR

The two victims who survived the attack were in critical condition.

One victim, who had been shot at least four or five times and possibly stabbed, was out of surgery and in an intensive care unit, Barnes said. The other victim, who was shot once, was recovering after surgery.

The bloodshed began during a tribal meeting about evicting Rhoades and her son from her home at the Rancheria, which is in remote northeastern California, about 30 miles south of the Oregon border.

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If you have questions about this article or are interested in Criminal Defense contact Rhode Island DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyer Joshua Macktaz at 401-861-1155.

Teacher Meredith Powell Allegedly Had Sex With Students

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 20:01:00 +0000

Based on this article, the woman being charged had more than one sexual encounter with students. This type of story keeps re-surfacing and it seems to be in the majority women teachers. Hopefully the victims in this situation get the therapy and assistance that they will no doubt need.

A 24-year-old high school math teacher is accused of having sexual contact with two students in her classroom and exchanging inappropriate texts and nude photos.

Meredith Powell, who taught at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, allegedly performed oral sex on a 15-year-old and, in a separate incident, had sexual contact with a 16-year-old while the rest of the school was attending an assembly last month.

Court documents obtained by KIRO claim Powell admitted her illegal behavior, though she pleaded not guilty on Friday to two counts of third-degree child rape and one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, according to the News Tribune.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/teacher-meredith-powell_n_4760537.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

David Cassidy charged with DUI in L.A.; speaks out from rehab

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 20:24:00 +0000

This is his third DUI arrest, but he is now in rehab, and hopefully it will be his last drunk driving charge. With this being the third time in six months, I can only imagine that his legal fees are enormous. Read the article for more information.

David Cassidy, onetime teen heartthrob and star of "The Partridge Family," was reportedly charged Tuesday with one count of driving under the influence stemming from a January arrest near LAX.

The Florida resident allegedly blew a 0.19, more than twice the legal limit, according to TMZ, which first reported the L.A. court news.

That's Cassidy's third DUI arrest and the second in a little more than six months.

He was arrested in New York in August and charged with felony DUI after reportedly blowing 0.10 on a blood-alcohol test. He'd recently completed rehab, his manager-rep told "Entertainment Tonight" in January, but had relapsed after the pressure of a deposition and planned to return to rehab.

Read more:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-david-cassidy-charged-with-dui-in-la-20140205,0,3905114.story#ixzz2sZkEwGdl

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If you have questions about this article or are interested in Criminal Defense contact Rhode Island DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyer Joshua Macktaz at 401-861-1155.

Jessica Burlew, Teen, Strangles 43-Year-Old Boyfriend To Death During Sex Act

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 21:11:00 +0000

This is a messy situation from a legal stand-point, as it is stated in the article that she suffers from schizophrenia and is autistic. Even if the relationship had been consensual, the girl is still under-age. Read the article for more information.

A 16-year-old Arizona girl is charged with second-degree murder after police say she strangled her 43-year-old boyfriend to death during sex.

Jessica Burlew allegedly told investigators that she and Jason Ash were involved in a "consensual sex act involving strangulation" on Saturday in her Glendale home. Burlew claimed that the man's death was an accident, ABC 15 reported.

Burlew claimed she was strangling Ash with an electrical wire during sex when he fell unconscious. When he did not wake up, Burlew allegedly used a razor to try to rouse him. When that failed, she began cutting herself, according to The Arizona-Republic.

Burlew then called her mother, Tracey Woodside, telling her that the man was dead. She also allegedly told her mom that she and her boyfriend had been playing "sex games" and he didn't say the "safety word."

Purdue University Reports Shooting On Campus; Suspect In Custody

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 19:10:00 +0000

This just happened today. This article covers all the details that are currently available.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Police have a person in custody following a reported shooting at Purdue University in Indiana.

A Twitter post from the university says the shooting happened Tuesday at the electrical engineering building on the school's campus in West Lafayette, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

Further posts say police have a person in custody, though no details have been released. The university says it told people to take shelter and has cleared the building.

Toshia Edmonson Stabbed 9 Times By 11-Year-Old Family Member

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 18:45:00 +0000

This very sad story and the family members are in our thoughts. The article outlines the details of this tragedy and explains the outcome of the crime committed.

An 11-year-old girl in Dallas was arrested Saturday after she allegedly stabbed a relative 9 times.

Family friends told News 8 that the victim, 41-year-old Toshia Edmonson, was the girl's mother. Police have released Edmonson's name, but have not confirmed her relationship to the girl.

“It’s family violence. That’s all I can say,” Dallas Police Cpl Monica Cordova told the Dallas Morning News.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/toshia-edmonson-stabbed-girl-_n_4545074.html?ref=topbar

Robbery Leads To Phoenix Officer, Civilian Being Shot

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 17:43:00 +0000

This is a difficult situation, because both officer and civilian were accidentally shot, so it can become complicated to defend.

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix police say the robbery of $18,000 led to a chase and car crash that ended with both an officer and civilian being shot in the street.

Two men are charged with robbing two employees of a men's club at gunpoint outside a restaurant. They were carrying about $18,000 from the club.

Town Mayor's Son Shot Dead In Christmas Home Invasion

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 19:43:00 +0000

This is an awful way to spend Christmas Eve, my thoughts go out to the victim's family.

A homeowner in Texas fatally shot a Christmas Eve intruder who authorities later identified as the town mayor's son, police say.

Joshua Slaven, 31, the son of Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke, was pronounced dead one minute before midnight on Dec. 24, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Slaven allegedly broke into the Cedar Hill home of Gareth Long, located not far from where his parents live, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Dallas Observer explains:

Just before midnight on Christmas Eve, Gareth Long woke to a noise outside his bedroom door. He got out of bed, grabbed a handgun, and went to investigate... Several times, Long told the man he was armed and asked the intruder to leave. When he wouldn't, Long fired.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/26/joshua-slaven-mayors-son-shot-dead_n_4503720.html?ref=topbar

Federal judge rules NSA bulk phone collection unconstitutional

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:34:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone records violates the Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches, but put his decision on hold pending a near-certain government appeal.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction sought by plaintiffs Larry Klayman and Charles Strange, concluding they were likely to prevail in their constitutional challenge. Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, ruled Monday that the two men are likely to be able to show that their privacy interests outweigh the government's interest in collecting the data. Leon says that means that massive collection program is an unreasonable search under the Constitution's Fourth Amendment.
The collection program was disclosed by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden, provoking a heated debate over civil liberties. The Obama administration has defended the program as a crucial tool against terrorism.

Read more:
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20131216-federal-judge-rules-nsa-bulk-phone-collection-unconstitutional.ece

Ethan Couch, 'Affluenza' Teen, Facing 5 Lawsuits

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:33:00 +0000

This case is drawing so much attention and probably will continue to do so for a very long time...

Ethan Couch's troubles aren't over yet.

On Dec. 10, the Texas 16-year-old was sentenced to a decade of probation after killing four people while driving drunk. During his trial, a psychologist called by the defense testified that Couch suffers from "affluenza," meaning that on the night of the crash he did not understand the consequences of his actions because of his privileged upbringing. Prosecutors had sought a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Couch is facing five lawsuits brought by families of the crash victims. The suits also target Couch's father, Fred Couch, as well as Fred's company, Cleburne Metal Works, which owned the pickup Couch was driving during the fatal wreck.

Marla Mitchell, mother of Breanna Mitchell, 24, who was killed in the crash, is suing for unspecified damages, as is Shaunna Jennings, wife of 41-year-old youth pastor Brian Jennings, who was also killed, reports NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. Eric and Marguerite Boyles are suing on behalf of deceased family members Hollie Boyles, 52, and Shelby Boyles, 21. The parents of two injured victims are also suing.

The tragic accident occurred when Couch was driving 30 mph over the speed limitoutside Dallas on June 15 and swerved off the road. His Ford F-350 hit a small crowd of pedestrians gathered near Breanna Mitchell's broken-down car. Couch's blood-alcohol level was .24 at the time, which is three times the legal limit for an adult in the state of Texas.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/ethan-couch-affluenza-lawsuits-car-crash-texas_n_4461585.html?ref=topbar

Daughter said she lied and sent dad to prison for rape, but DA upholds conviction

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 20:42:00 +0000

This is a sad situation where it shows that even recanting isn't enough soemtimes. This article tells the history of this family's troubled past and their sad future.

A man serving 40 years for raping his eight-year-old daughter has lost his bid to be released from prison, even though the alleged victim has insisted for the past 15 years that the crime never happened, and that she only said it had because her drug-addicted mother threatened to beat her.

In a letter to Daryl Kelly's attorney, Orange County D.A. Francis Phillips said he stands by Kelly’s 1998 prosecution, because of the findings of a re-investigation conducted at his request by the Committee on the Fair and Ethical Administration of Justice of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY).

“After a thorough investigation, the CFEAJ has determined that Kelly was not wrongfully convicted,” wrote Phillips. “That conclusion is, in my opinion amply supported by the evidence and the reasoned analysis in the report.”

Read the DAASNY report here.

“I’m absolutely devastated,” said alleged victim Chaneya Kelly, now 25, who first told her story to NBC News in August. “My father didn’t rape me, and I don’t know why they just won’t believe me.” She vowed to continue fighting on behalf of her father, and has written a letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying she was “completely insulted” by the re-investigation. “Every time I told them that my father did not commit any of the malicious crimes he was convicted of,” she wrote in the letter, “they treated me as if I was lying.”

Read the original NBC News report on Chaneya and Daryl Kelly.

The DAASNY reinvestigation included extensive interviews with nearly everyone involved in the original prosecution. The report, which Phillips received last month, says “every conceivable effort has been undertaken to find the unvarnished truth regardless of how or whom it impacts.”

Daryl Kelly’s attorney, Peter Cross, disagrees. “Anyone who looks at the facts of this case will see that Daryl is obviously innocent,” said Cross. “Based on information I’ve gathered since this report was written, it is provably biased.” One of the individuals interviewed by the state committee sent Phillips a letter saying the report contains “misleading and inaccurate quotes,” and an expert he hired sent Phillips a letter calling the committee’s rejection of Chaneya’s recantation “unscientific.”

Representatives of the DAASNY did not respond to requests for comment.

Courtesy of Chaneya Kelly

Chaneya Kelly, her son and her father Daryl at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York, 2012.

It all began in October 1997 in Newburgh, N.Y., where Daryl Kelly was living with his wife, Charade, and their five children. Chaneya, their oldest child, was two months shy of her ninth birthday.

At the time, Daryl -- a Navy veteran -- says he was trying to kick a drug habit to take care of his kids. But Charade was at rock bottom, even turning to prostitution to feed her addiction.

Chaneya remembers being downstairs with her father one morning before school when she had to use the bathroom. When she was done, she went upstairs, and that's when Chaneya says her mother asked her a question that came out of the blue.

"She repeatedly asked me, has my dad touched me," recalled Chaneya. "I was like, 'What do you mean, did he touch me?' And she was like, 'Did he touch you in your no-no spot?' And I would repeatedly say no."

Chaneya says the more she denied any abuse, the more irate her mother became - and even threatened her with a belt. According to Chaneya, her mother said, "If you don't tell me the answer that I want to hear, I'm going to beat you." To avoid a beating, says Chaneya, she told her mother that her father molested her even though it wasn't true.

Chaneya repeated the charge of molestation to police, and was examined by nurses and doctors. They issued a report in which they determined there was "possible sexual abuse" because of some redness -- but Chaneya's hymen was intact even though she claimed her father had penetrated her.

But with both Chaneya and her mom telling police the same story, Daryl Kelly was charged with multiple counts of rape and sodomy.

Kelly refused a plea deal that would have made him eligible for parole in six years, and within a year he faced a jury, was found guilty and sentenced to 20 to 40 years.

Six months after her father's conviction, however, Chaneya came forward to her grandmother, saying she was never raped, and that the story had been born out of fear of her mother.

Chaneya’s grandmother took her to Kelly’s appellate attorney, who videotaped her recantation. On the tape, Chaneya looks uncomfortable, mumbling short, hesitant answers like, "No," and "I think so." The prosecutor argued that the recantation looked coerced, and the same judge who oversaw Kelly’s original trial a year earlier agreed. He refused to vacate Kelly's conviction.

When NBC News spoke with Chaneya's mother in August, she said she'd been drug-free for many years, and said that she had threatened her daughter with a beating, blaming the incident on a drug binge. "I was really deep in the grip of my addiction." When asked why she would threaten her daughter if she didn't lie, Charade said, "I have no idea, I really don't."

Over the years, Chaneya says she never gave up on her father. When she was 15, she convinced the courts to allow her to once again have contact with him -- and that’s when she went to visit him in prison.

“The first thing my dad did was that he hugged me and he told me that he loved me and … that he doesn’t blame me for anything,” Chaneya recalled. “It was priceless to me.”

Since then, she’s been talking to anyone who would listen about her father. Ultimately, the case was reopened at Chaneya’s request, but it didn’t end the way she hoped.

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/16/21880908-daughter-said-she-lied-and-sent-dad-to-prison-for-rape-but-da-upholds-conviction?lite

George Zimmerman Won't Face Domestic Violence Charges

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 21:13:00 +0000

By CURT ANDERSON 12/11/13 05:02 PM ET EST

MIAMI (AP) — George Zimmerman will not face domestic violence charges because his girlfriend did not wish to pursue the case and there was scant evidence of a crime, a state prosecutor said Wednesday.

Samantha Scheibe's decision not to cooperate and the lack of other corroborating evidence would have made the case difficult to prove, State Attorney Phil Archer in Seminole County said in a statement.

"There is no reasonable likelihood of a successful prosecution," Archer said.

Zimmerman, 30, had faced charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief following a Nov. 18 confrontation at the central Florida house he shared with Scheibe. She initially told police Zimmerman pointed a shotgun at her face during an argument, smashed her coffee table and pushed her out of the house.

She recanted much of that in an affidavit filed this week in which she referred to Zimmerman as "my boyfriend" and said she wanted him back.

If convicted of the felony assault charge, Zimmerman could have gotten a maximum of five years in prison. He had been free on $9,000 bail prior to Archer's announcement and had been ordered to stay away from Scheibe's house in Apopka.

Zimmerman's attorney, Jayne Weintraub, filed a motion earlier this week asking that the no-contact order be lifted. That motion included Scheibe's affidavit stating she did not want the prosecution to go forward.

"I am pleased that I was able to present credible evidence to reasonable prosecutors who took the time to listen and that justice prevailed," Weintraub said in an email. "This demonstrates how great our system is."

The arrest was one of a string of legal problems for Zimmerman since he was acquitted last summer of murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood watch volunteer, said he shot the unarmed, black teenager in self-defense during a confrontation in February 2012 inside a gated community in Sanford, just outside Orlando.

Relatives of Martin accused Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, of racially profiling the teen and instigating the fight. The case triggered a national debate about race and an examination of self-defense laws.

In September, Zimmerman was accused by his estranged wife of smashing an iPad during an argument at the home they had shared. Shellie Zimmerman initially told a dispatcher her husband had a gun, though she later said he was unarmed.

No charges were ever filed because of a lack of evidence. The dispute occurred days after Shellie Zimmerman filed divorce papers.

Zimmerman has also been pulled over three times for traffic violations since his acquittal.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/zimmerman-no-domestic-violence-charges_n_4431909.html?ref=topbar

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John Wise, Man Who Shot Wife In Hospital 'Mercy Killing,' Seeks Clemency

noreply@blogger.com (S. Joshua Macktaz, Esquire) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 21:08:00 +0000

There are always two side to every story, which is why there needs to be criminal defense lawyers in the first place. Unfortunately this is a sad article...

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — An attorney for an Ohio man convicted of fatally shooting his ailing wife at a hospital says they will seek clemency from the governor.

Attorney Paul Adamson says in an email that the defense plans to launch a campaign for clemency after John Wise is sentenced. The sentencing is scheduled Friday in Akron.

The 68-year-old Massillon (MAS'-ih-luhn) man says he shot his debilitated wife out of love in August 2012 after she appeared to be in pain. Mercy is not a defense to a murder charge in Ohio.

Wise was convicted on charges including aggravated murder with a firearm specification, which could carry a life sentence.

The prosecutor says the unique circumstances warrant leniency. She has recommended that Wise be sentenced on a lesser crime and get a six-year term.
Read more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/john-wise-clemency-shoots-wife-hospital-mercy-killing_n_4433263.html?utm_hp_ref=crime