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Defending Child Abuse Allegations in Arizona State and Federal Court

Published in the Maricopa Lawyer Family Law Section December 2023 edition.  By Sabra Barnett  As a former Assistant Federal Public Defender, I have experience representing clients accused of crimes ranging from gun charges and interstate drug trafficking to complex financial matters involving interstate wire transfers.  I always appreciated practicing in Federal court because of the tremendous caliber of […]

The DCS and Criminal Investigation Dilemma

Originally published in the Maricopa County Bar Association Criminal Law Newsletter Spring 2023 edition on March 21, 2023.  By Sabra Barnett and Isabel Ranney  As criminal defense attorneys, we understand the importance of ensuring out clients do not make incriminating statements. When in doubt, we are quick to advise our clients to invoke their 5th […]

Knapp: How Private Attorneys Can Help Public Defenders

By Sabra Barnett and Isabel Ranney You just have to watch a few Law and Order: SVU episodes to know the that when someone is arrested, they are read Miranda warnings.  While the 100 words in Miranda are all valuable, “the right to an attorney” and that, “if you cannot afford one, one will be […]

A Position of Trust II: Teachers Facing Prosecution for Failure to Report Child Abuse

By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney When mandatory reporters fail to report suspected child abuse, they are complicit in letting the abuse continue. Educators, in particular, have such a unique and consistent level of interaction with children that makes them a reliable source of child abuse/neglect reports. Due to this, nearly all states, including Arizona, lists […]

The Importance of Pre-Charge/Pre-Indictment Counsel

By Sabra Barnett Prior to working in private practice, I was an Assistant Federal Public defender. In this role, I received cases long after charges had been filed. Meaning, the opportunity for many of my clients to avoid being charged had long since passed. Grand Jurys had convened, statements were recorded, and the case had […]

Preventable: The Legal Consequences When a Child Accesses a Gun in Arizona

By Isabel Ranney It started with a loud popping noise. Marie rushed into the bedroom and found Reggie lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. Her two-year-old son stood nearby; a gun clutched in his hand. She immediately called 911 and began administering CPR while she waited for first responders to arrive. Reggie would […]

10 Years Post-Sandusky: CAPTA and Mandatory Reporting in Arizona

By Brad TenBrook and Isabel Ranney Originally Published 06/24/21 for the Maricopa County Bar Association. After Jerry Sandusky’s arrest for child sex abuse in 2011, states across the United States began paying attention. Sandusky was a well-respected assistant football coach at Penn State and the founder of a non-profit charity dedicated to helping at-risk youth […]