Plead Guilty, Lose Your Kids? How Criminal & Family Court Collide

Criminal charges and Arizona family court collide more often than most parents realize, and one guilty plea can quietly reshape a custody case. Billie Tarascio sits down with criminal defense attorney Ryan Cummings to break down how DUIs, domestic violence charges, and even a teenager's bad decision online can follow an Arizona family through both courtrooms at once.

Ryan Cummings is the founding partner and lead attorney at R&R Law Group, where he focuses exclusively on criminal defense across Arizona. Raised by a 27-year detective, he brings a rare view from both sides of the badge and a mission built on giving clients safety, clarity, and hope through the hardest moments of their lives.

What you'll learn:

- Why pleading guilty to domestic violence can cost you decision-making over your kids

- How the domestic violence "tag" gets added to charges like disorderly conduct or assault

- Why a strangulation charge can whittle down to non-DV disorderly conduct, and what that means for custody

- How pending criminal charges collide with family court testimony and the Fifth Amendment

- Why crime in Arizona runs in seasonal waves tied to heat, holidays, and big events

- How marijuana, alcohol, and drug offenses differ in charges and consequences

- What the new wave of e-bike and Lime scooter citations means for Arizona kids

- Why Snapchat and "deleted" posts keep resurfacing in criminal cases

- How AI-generated nude images of classmates can become CSAM charges

- What Arizona's Romeo and Juliet laws do and don't protect

- How the Maricopa County Attorney decides whether to press charges

- The single best conversation to have with your teenager tonight

Chapters

00:26 Meet Ryan Cummings

03:04 Balancing Competing Interests in Law

04:29 Why Crime Runs in Seasonal Waves

08:58 Domestic Violence and the DV Tag

11:13 Guilty Pleas, Diversion, and Custody

12:14 Criminal Charges Meet Family Court Testimony

14:02 E-Bikes, Scooters, and Teen Safety

20:02 How the County Decides to Press Charges

25:26 What to Tell Your Teenager

29:09 Nudes, AI Images, and CSAM Risk

33:31 Where to Find Ryan

If you're facing a family law matter in Arizona, Modern Law is here to help. Call 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

Connect with Ryan Cummings:

- Website: rrlawaz.com

- Email: info@rrlawaz.com

- Phone: 480-400-1355