Photography by Tracy Rasinski Attorney William James Fisher specializes in Mexico’s ambiguous legal system.

OK, so you may never end up in a Mexican jail, but if you do, don’t you want to know who to call first? Meet eight Valley professionals with unique jobs for your equally unique situations.

Getting Gringos Safely Home
Whether driving to Puerto Peñasco or flying to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is where Phoenicians go to get away and chill out. But for some of us, leaving behind our worldly cares also sometimes means leaving behind our common sense. That’s when the services of William James Fisher, a Phoenix-based attorney who specializes in the Mexican legal system, can prove extremely useful.

“I get lots of calls during spring break time,” says Fisher, who operates his own law office, “usually for minor offenses like fighting in a bar or reckless driving. But if you don’t know your way around the Mexican system you could be in for the hassle of your life.”

Fisher, whose mother was born in Sonora, Mexico, has dual citizenship and has been practicing international law since 1979. While he is not licensed to practice law in Mexico, he is highly familiar with the legal system south of the border and can help expedite the judicial process on his clients’ behalf. Fisher can also connect clients to the right Mexican lawyers as well as other officials involved.

Fisher says he recently got a call in the middle of the night from a father in Indiana whose daughter was arrested for fighting at the Hard Rock Café in Cancún. When he flew down to plead for her release, he learned that she had apparently taunted the police, saying, “You can’t arrest me, I’m American.”

 “They’d rather earn your tourist dollar than arrest you,” Fisher says, “but they do see a lot of hypocrisy in how Americans relate to Mexico.”

Fisher’s work extends into more grown-up areas as well, including cross-border custody cases, medical emergencies and business transactions. He insists that, generally, the attitude of Mexican officials toward U.S. nationals is not a negative one. Although, he says, you will occasionally run into a corrupt cop who wants to make a few dollars off you.

His advice to anyone heading south of the border: “Don’t do anything down there you wouldn’t do at home. Don’t leave your common sense at the border. Carry it with you your entire trip.” And if you do run afoul of the law? “Be cordial, be respectful. Do not offer a bribe,” he says.

But what if it’s the officer asking for a bribe, also known as mordidas, which literally means, a bite? “They know it’s illegal,” says Fisher. “Usually they are just testing you. If you say no, they’ll typically let it go.”

For this and other sound legal advice regarding Mexico, Fisher charges $250 to $350 an hour.

For more information call 602-253-1388.

Wes Burns owns and operates a polygraph test business.

The Lie Detector
Honesty is the bedrock of any healthy relationship, but sometimes you need a little backup. We’re used to seeing polygraph examinations in TV crime dramas, but everyday folks turn to polygraph exams to resolve personal conflicts, too.

“Infidelity tests are the most common call we get from private parties,” says Wes Burns, who owns and operates Phoenix-based Abacus Forensic Polygraph. “The vast majority of polygraph takers do so voluntarily. Often it’s the one accused of infidelity who calls us to prove his innocence.”

A polygraph is also used to settle other types of disputes, such as conflicts between neighbors or family members.

Polygraphs collect a series of physiological measurements from people being examined while they answer questions carefully crafted to address the subject at hand. These measurements include changes in heart data like pulse and blood pressure, abdominal and thoracic muscle movement and electrochemical resistance in the skin. These are then compared with baseline measurements taken while answering routine questions, such as “What’s your name?”

Although only about 90 percent accurate, polygraphs can help settle conflicts, but only when cooler heads prevail.

“We don’t believe in polygraph emergencies,” Burns says. Appointments typically are set two weeks in advance. “We’ve had couples call us while the argument was still going on, and I have to tell them I don’t do that.”

In fact, Burns spends far more time explaining the process and reviewing the questions to be asked – about two hours – than the exam itself, which is over in a matter of minutes.

Burns worked for more than a decade as a law enforcement officer and detective. Having conducted more than 4,000 polygraph exams, Burns has seen just about every trick out there that liars use to dodge a polygraph. Some will set the polygraph appointment themselves, Burns says, and then find endless excuses to not show up. “They come up with one excuse after another,” he says, “starting with scheduling conflicts and escalating to health reasons.”

But according to Burns, there are no known conditions or medications that interfere with the polygraph process. Our advice? Get a note from the doctor.

The truth ain’t cheap. In-office examinations start at $500 and go up from there.

For more information visit abacuspolygraph.com.

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