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Articles Tagged with Criminal Court

Published on: August 10, 2012

Arraignment: How Should I Plea in an Arizona Criminal Court

Following an arrest, you will be required to appear in court for an Arraignment. This is your opportunity to inform the court of how you wish to plea, which dictates the type of criminal processing that takes place from there. If you wish to obtain legal representation, and defend your charges, you should plead “Not Guilty”. This invokes your rights to a defense and retention of counsel.

Types of Court Pleas

There are three ways a person can plead in an Arizona criminal court. Each will have a separate outcome in your case:

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Published on: May 18, 2012

Court Jurisdiction: What It Is and Why It is Important to Your Defense

By James E. Novak, P.L.L.C.

Jurisdiction as it relates to criminal charges is a certain Court’s authority to hear specific types of cases. It involves both geographic elements as well as legal authority afforded by the State, County and Federal laws. Felonies and Misdemeanors have are heard in different courts. Generally, the city, county and state where a person is arrested, or accused of a crime, is the geographic location where the criminal justice court proceedings will begin. Below are some facts and guidelines for Arizona court jurisdiction for felonies and misdemeanors in Maricopa County:

Felonies are heard in the Arizona Superior Courts. AZ Superior Court is considered only one entity, but they have different locations serving Arizona, and Maricopa County.
Misdemeanors are heard in the lower courts – Municipal Courts, City courts and Justice Courts in Arizona. The Municipal Court in Mesa is located at:

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