Criminal and Criminal Traffic Tickets

Upon Receiving your Criminal or Criminal Traffic Ticket (Complaint)

The criminal complaint you received includes a Court date and time (Arraignment). You must decide how you want to plea to the violation(s) you have been cited for by the time of your Court date.

The Arraignment | The Pre-trial Conference | The Trial | Presenting the Case

Sentencing

The amount of any jail sentence, fine, fee, restitution, or probation assessed by the Court is affected by the facts and circumstances of the case and your prior criminal record. Mitigating circumstances may lower the amount of jail, fine, or probation. However, aggravating circumstances may increase the amount of jail, fine, or probation.

For some offenses, there are statutory minimum sentences which the Judge must impose. In no instance will sentences exceed the maximum levels of $2,500 fine plus surcharges and/or 6 months in jail and/or 5 years probation.

Payment of Your Monetary Sentence

If you are ordered to pay a fine, fee, and/or restitution, payment in full is expected on the day of sentencing. Payment on any financial sentence may be made by cash, check, or money order. If you meet certain financial requirements, you may be allowed some time to pay. However, a time payment fee will be added to the amount that you owe. Failure to comply with a payment schedule will result in additional Court proceedings and possible sanctions for non-compliance. This may include, but is not limited to a warrant being issued for your arrest, the suspension of your driver's license, referral to a collection agency, the attachment of your Arizona income tax refund, and any other legally appropriate collection actions against you, your income or your property. If the Court refers your account to a collection agency or the Arizona Department of Revenue, additional collection fees will be added to your account balance.

Restitution

You may be required to pay restitution for any damage or economic loss suffered by a victim. All restitution payments must be made to the Court for disbursement to the victim. If you have an insurance company which will pay the restitution portion of your sentence, it must make payment directly to the Court or provide proof of payment so that the Court can accurately record payment of this portion of your sentence.

Appeal

Following a trial, you have the right to appeal a final judgment of this Court to the Maricopa County Superior Court. The Notice of Appeal must be filed within 14 calendar days of the judgment against you. The Judge in your case will advise you of your appeal rights following sentencing in your case. If you decide to appeal, you will be advised as to what fees apply.

In ruling on your appeal, the Superior Court will review the issues of law arising from your trial or hearing. Your appeal will not result in a retrial of the facts and you will not be allowed to present new evidence or testimony on appeal.

Note: Do not send inquiries regarding court cases by email. You must contact the Court directly for case inquiries at 480-404-7000.