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How Does A $125 Fine Become A $505 Fine In Tempe Municipal Court?
When you plead guilty or are found guilty in a criminal traffic case, a fine is typically imposed. This can either be part of a plea agreement you reached with the prosecutor, or the fine can be imposed by the court. We recently concluded a criminal traffic case in Tempe Municipal Court wherein the plea agreement specified the fine would be $125.
Trial in a Misdemeanor Traffic Case
Most criminal traffic cases do not go to trial and here’s why. By the time a case is ready for trial, all discovery and disclosure has been completed. This means both parties have all of the information available and know the relative strengths and weaknesses of their cases. This also means that all negotiations have concluded.
Disclosure and Discovery in a Criminal Traffic Case
the course of a criminal case, the State (the prosecutor) and the defendant are required to make disclosures. They must disclose to each other any evidence or witnesses they may want to use in the case. For example, the State is required to provide anything it may use against the defendant at trial.
What is a Deviation Request?
The goal in a criminal case is generally to mitigate the consequences of the alleged crime. In other words, the defendant wants to achieve an outcome that is better than if they were convicted of the alleged crime.
East Mesa Justice Court
East Mesa Justice Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, meaning it handles civil cases involving less than $10,000, civil and criminal traffic violations, and misdemeanors. If you receive a ticket from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office or Arizona Department of Public Safety inside the Court’s precinct, your case will be handled here.
Private Home Destroyed by the Police, City Not Liable
Police were pursuing an armed person who had allegedly shoplifted some merchandise from a wal-mart. The alleged shoplifter took refuge in a private home and a police standoff followed. Over the course of 19 hours, the police SWAT team “fired gas munition and 40-millimeter rounds through the windows, drove an armored vehicle through the doors, tossed flash-bang grenades inside and used explosives to blow out the walls,” according to a Washington Post article. By the time the police were done with the home, it had to be demolished. You can see why in the picture above.
Veterans’ Court in Arizona
Some courts offer a program available to veterans called veterans court. The concept is that veterans may have had experiences or life situations that contributed in some way to the charge(s) filed against them.
Healthcare Professionals and Mandatory Reporting of Misdemeanors
If you hold a professional license related to healthcare in Arizona, you may be required to self-report an arrest or a conviction to your licensing board.
Admin Per Se or Implied Consent Affidavit – 2023 Update
When a driver is ticketed for a DUI, the police will often, but not always, serve an admin per se/implied consent affidavit like that shown above on the driver. There are two types of license suspension that can result from this affidavit, an admin per se suspension, or an implied consent suspension.
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