The Umansky Law Firm

The U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force has detained a Raleigh, North Carolina man on a probation violation. This stems from a 1989 manslaughter conviction in Phoenix, Arizona.

The man's wife says she never knew her husband was on the lam. After he left Phoenix, he changed his name and got married. He and his wife have lived in Raleigh for the last ten years. She also says she was out shopping when her husband was arrested.

Authorities say the 55-year-old man killed a white supremacist that robbed and assaulted him previously. He fled Phoenix out of fear of retaliation. Marshals had been tracking the man after a 1999 New Mexico traffic stop. His wife believes he did not tell her about the incident because he was trying to protect her.

The man has waived extradition from North Carolina to Arizona, but those who knew him are shocked and devastated. He had just started a new job and was involved in his local church and sang in the church choir.

Perhaps running as he did was done out of fear for his safety, and while no one can condone what he did, many people might be able to understand. However, we have laws that, while we may not agree with all of them, are there to protect society as a whole.

This does not mean this man should not have a vigorous legal defense team willing to go the extra mile and see he is treated fairly. After 17 years, the man has a family and friends who can vouch as to how decent he has been, or has become.

No one has a stainless past. We all make mistakes, big and small. But when you wind up on the wrong side of the law, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can make all the difference in how the rest of your life will be spent.

If you have been charged with a crime in Orange County or Orlando, Florida, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation.