In the unfortunate event that you are required to pay fines or fulfill other obligations as the result of a judgment of the Court in Graham County, it is important to know where to go and how to contact the Court.
The Graham County Superior Court is located at the following address:
800 W Main Street, Safford, AZ 85546
Phone: 928-428-3100
Fax: 928-428-0061
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Graham County Superior Court is part of Arizona’s only general jurisdiction court and therefore hears all types of cases. The large variety of cases that the Court hears and decides on include Criminal Juvenile Matters, Family Law and Felony Criminal.
If you were arrested for DUI and/or ordered to appear before the Court in Graham County, you should contact Rosenstein Law Group to arrange a free consultation regarding your case. Our experienced DUI specialist attorneys in Scottsdale and Graham County will speak with you directly and confidentially regarding your case and defense options. Contact our firm online or by calling (480) 248-7666.
The general structure and process of a criminal case heard in Graham County Superior Court is as follows:
The initial appearance is one of the first hearings that happens in a criminal proceeding. This stage takes place within 24 hours after a defendant is taken into custody. During the initial appearance stage, the Judge has to advise the defendant of their right to counsel and to remain silent.
Although most defendants do not have an attorney at this stage, it is advised that if you or someone you know has an upcoming initial appearance, it might be in the best interest of the defendant to retain an attorney. This is because the release conditions and how much the bond is going to be set will be determined at this stage.
Depending on the severity of your case, the bail bond process may be decided with or without standing before a Judge. If you have a less severe case, you may not have to stand before a Judge and be released quicker. However, if you have a more severe felony case, you will need to stand before a Judge for your bail bond.
This process is in place to ensure the constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty of a defendant is not violated as it allows the defendant to stay out of jail until proven guilty. It is also in place to ensure that a defendant will appear in court for their hearing.
The status conference is where the attorney will get to meet with the Judge presiding over the case and the prosecutor. The attorney also may be able to pick up the police reports or discuss plea deals or dismissal for the client.
At this stage, the attorney has the chance to talk with the Judge about whether there are any issues with the case before a trial is set.
This is the stage where the prosecution side has to show that there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the DUI. If the prosecutor is unsuccessful at presenting a probable cause, then the case will be dismissed. However, if the prosecutor is successful, the case goes on.
Scratching or temporary dismissal of the case does not mean that the case is dismissed entirely. There are many instances where the State temporarily dismisses a case when they need more time and re-file that same case a few months after the scratch.
A prefile investigation would take police when the police have a suspicion that an individual has committed a crime. The police will take action towards either proving or dispelling this suspicion.
A grand jury’s job entails reviewing potential criminal charges that the prosecution side would like to file and take out any charges that the grand jury finds not supported by probable cause. In Arizona, this would be made up of a group of 9-16 people.
The Judge will confirm that the defendant knows what action that the grand jury has taken with respect to their case. This is also where the Judge will confirm that the defendant has legal representation. The Judge will then set the defendant’s case on the Court’s docket.
The defendant may have an opportunity to have a jury trial. This is the stage where the attorney will be able to tell their client’s side of the story to the jury.
This is when the Judge imposes the penalties (if it comes to that). This stage is preceded by the presentencing hearing, where the Judge would hear evidence about potential sentences.
If you are arrested and charged with a DUI in Graham County, you will find your DUI case transferred to the Graham County Superior Court and you will go through the criminal justice system there.
Felony charges that occur in the Graham County Superior Court for DUI are as follows:
The types of Aggravated DUI charges that fall under Class 4 are:
A class 4 felony would result in the following possible minimum penalties for a charge of Aggravated DUI:
The type of Aggravated DUI charges that fall under Class 6 are:
A class 6 felony would result in the following possible minimum penalties for a charge of Aggravated DUI:
Unless, the DUI also resulted in an accident, you can be charged with the following:
Given how serious a DUI charge is and the possible penalties and consequences, it is imperative that anyone that has been charged with a DUI get in touch and retain a prudent defense attorney in a timely manner. Penalties of varying degree can be effectively reduced through strategic negotiation methods employed by our expert counsels with years of experience in this specialized field of law. If you find yourself facing a felony DUI charge, please give us a call at (480) 248-7666 to schedule a free consultation.
