Pretrial Release And Bail In Arizona

If you have been charged with a crime in Arizona, a judge will determine whether you can be released pending the outcome of your case. If you have been arrested and taken into custody, this determination must be made at an initial appearance within 24 hours of your arrest. The court’s decision can be re-examined…

Dangerous Nature Crimes In Arizona

Arizona Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon Dangerous Instrument

Arizona has had a mandatory sentencing scheme in place for many years now. This means that the sentencing judge has less discretion to impose the sentence he or she thinks is appropriate. Instead, the judge must impose a sentence within a specific range that law makers have designated for the offense of conviction. There are…

Federal DUIs, Misdemeanors, And Petty Offenses

Federal DUI in National Park or Forest or Military base in Tucson Arizona

There’s a whole host of federal regulations that can apply when you are on federal land (a military base or a national park, forest, or monument…). Things like walking your dog off its leash, feeding wildlife, driving in areas that are not designated roadways, damaging plants or terrain, or pocketing an interesting rock that you…

10 Ways To Reduce A Federal Prison Sentence

If you are being sentenced in federal court, the judge will determine the recommended sentencing range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Even after this is done, and assuming there is no mandatory minimum sentence requirement, there are still a number of ways to get a sentence below the recommended range. A federal criminal defense…

Federal Sentencing Explained

Statute in front of highest federal court, where sentencing goes by federal statutes and the US sentencing guidelines and is much different than sentencing in Arizona state courts

Criminal defendants don’t always have a good defense. In these cases, and even in some cases where there is a viable defense, defendants often decide to enter into a plea agreement with the government in order to get a better sentence than they would if they went to trial and lost. In federal court, especially,…

Criminal Charges Against College Students In Arizona

Criminal charges against college students are more common than most people think. Although college students are generally law abiding people, their youth and inexperience inevitably lead to mistakes. Many of students are living away from home for the first time and experiencing a degree of freedom to which they are unaccustomed. Unfortunately, it is fairly…

Arizona DUI Checkpoints

Normally, a police officer needs a reason to stop your car and start a DUI investigation. This is not the case at DUI checkpoints. A few states have found that DUI checkpoints are unconstitutional, but the U.S. Supreme Court has determined that they are constitutional if done properly and a majority of the states, including…