Help Me Fight for My Freedom, My Future, and My Son

My name is Benjamin Duran, im 39 years old living in Sun City Arizona , and I am reaching out because I am facing the fight of my life. For the first time in my life, I know what it means to be truly clean, to have a purpose, and to experience a future worth living for. But that future is currently hanging by a thread, and I am desperately asking for help to keep my family from being torn apart before it even really begins.

My Past and My Turning Point

My story didn’t start out easy. Years ago, I fell deep into the grips of a severe drug addiction. To feed that habit, I made terrible, destructive choices that led to prison time for aggravated DUIs and burglaries. Tragically, prison wasn't a place of rehabilitation for me—drugs were more accessible inside than they were out on the streets.

When I finally got out, I fell back into a toxic environment with someone who dragged me right back down, resulting in a new, terrifying arrest and the threat of up to 10 years in prison. Sitting in a cell, completely broken and overwhelmed by despair, I wanted to end my life.

Then, a miracle happened. Three days later, I was told that charges were not being filed, and I was released. I took that moment as a sign from God—my personal Damascus moment. I walked straight out of that situation and into treatment. I completed a 90-day inpatient rehab program, got completely clean, and immediately threw myself into Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP), classes that I still faithfully attend today. For the first time, I have built a life completely free of drugs and crime, and I am in full compliance with every single term of my probation. I thought the worst of my past was finally behind me.

The Miracle of My Son—And a New Nightmare

Last month, everything changed in an instant. I received a phone call from DCS informing me that the woman from my past had given birth to a baby boy while incarcerated, and he was in state custody.

The very same day, I went to get a DNA test. When the results came back positive, my whole world shifted. I am the father of a beautiful, 2-and-a-half-month-old baby boy.

From that moment on, my entire focus shifted to doing whatever it takes to bring my son home. I enrolled in three separate parenting classes every week, pouring every ounce of my energy into proving that I am a changed, stable, and loving father. My first family court date for custody is on the horizon, and I finally had hope.

And then, out of nowhere, the ground fell out from under me.

When I went to routine check-in with my probation officer, I was blindsided: the old DUI charges from before my rehabilitation had just been filed.

Facing a Broken System Alone

In court, I tried to show my court-appointed attorney everything I had accomplished. I told him about my continuous sobriety, my IOP classes, my parenting courses, and my newborn son. I begged him to push my court date back just a little bit so I could fight for custody first and have a chance to hold my boy.

None of it mattered. Because of a "fast-track" program, my court dates were scheduled just two weeks apart, forcing me toward a rushed plea deal. At my very first appearance, they handed me an offer: 6.5 years in prison.

My heart dropped. I felt completely paralyzed. I know that if I have to face this system with an overworked public defender who doesn't have the time to fight my unique story, I will lose everything. My next plea offer will only get worse, and my son will grow up without his father—the very father who fought so hard to get clean just to give him a good, safe home.

Why I Need Your Help

I am trying to raise $15,000 to $35,000 to retain a private, experienced criminal defense attorney. From everything I've researched, this is what it costs to secure proper legal representation for a complex felony DUI case like mine—one that can actually look at my rehabilitation, fight the fast-track pressure, and protect my right to raise my son.

I don’t know why God is putting me through this ultimate test right now, just as I’ve finally turned my life around. But I have to believe that a miracle can still happen.

If you can find it in your heart to donate, share, or support my campaign in any way, you aren't just helping me pay for a lawyer. You are helping a recovering addict stay out of a cell and stay on the right path. You are giving a little boy a chance to grow up with his dad in a clean, sober, and loving home.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my story and giving me a fighting chance.