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Rosenstein Law Group proudly serves the South Mountain (South Phoenix) Justice Court. As some of the area’s best and only board-certified DUI/DWI lawyers, Rosenstein Law Group will be by your side from beginning to end. You can find the Rosenstein Law group at their offices in Scottsdale, Tempe, or Gilbert. For a free consultation call 480-248-7666 or schedule an appointment online today!
The South Mountain Justice Court (SMJC) takes DUI/ DWI very seriously and you could face substantial fines or jail time. SMJC is located off West Jackson Avenue in Phoenix. The Honorable Cody Williams currently presides over the court. Judge Williams is an Arizona native and has been on the bench since 2007. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and attended Arizona State where he earned his master’s degree. Justice Williams is one of three African American Justices in the county. A former businessman and city council member, Judge Williams cares about Phoenix and the South Mountain Justice Court.
The SMJC rough boundary is South Mountain on the south, the Salt River on the north, 83rd Avenue on the west, and 48th Street on the east. The SMJC handles over 12,000 cases annually in the areas of Civil Suits, Protection Orders, Criminal Misdemeanors, Civil and Criminal Traffic Violations, Eviction Actions, Jury Trials, and Weddings. The SMJC is a limited jurisdiction court that handles misdemeanors and claims up to ten thousand dollars. Information about the South Mountain Justice Court can be found online at justicecourts.maricopa.gov/about-us/court-locations/ or by phone at (602) 372-6300
Arizona DUI or driving under the influence laws can be found under title 4 and 28 of the Arizona code. A.R.S. § 244(34) covers underage DUI and A.R.S. § 28-1381 covers DUI, Extreme DUI, and Aggravated DUI. A person is in violation of Arizona’s law against driving under the Influence if there are found to be operating a vehicle with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more. In underage cases, any amount of alcohol found in the blood, no matter how small, can lead to charges. An Extreme DUI charge will be made if a person’s BAC is over 0.15 BAC. These sections will be the guidepost that determines your case. Each phrase or clause is important. In Arizona DUI penalties can include fines, suspension of license, installing a breathalyzer in your car, and jail time. Even for the first offense.
The Rosenstein Law Group has experience handling all types of cases even felony DUI. Each year there are more than 20,000 Arizonans who are caught drinking and driving. While you never should get behind the wheel if you are under the influence, we all make mistakes and those mistakes should not have to ruin your life. The Rosenstein Law Group has been in practice long enough to have respected relationships with the district attorneys that will be bringing charges against you. Having these relationships is a beneficial tool to help you get the best possible outcome.
If you have been charged with a DUI in the South Mountain Justice Court, call the Rosenstein Law Group. Their skilled attorneys will guide you through the Initial appearance (IA), status conference, filing, arraignment, pretrial conferences, and if necessary, fight for you in court. A DUI/DWI is a serious offense that can come with severe penalties. The process can be difficult to navigate and so it is important to have an experienced lawyer at your side. The Rosenstein Law Group has over 100 years of DUI/DWI experience and can lead you through your DUI/DWI case. It is important to know which court you have been charged in. If you are sent to a court that is outside of a jurisdictional area where the arrest happened your case can be thrown out.
The initial appearance is the first appearance before the court and must take place within 24 hours of your arrest if you are in custody. If you have not been arrested; you may be summoned before the South Mountain Justice Court. At this hearing, you will be informed of the charges against you, any conditions of release, and your next court date. If the District attorney is not prepared to file charges the District Attorney may “Scratch” the case. This means that your case is temporarily dismissed. The case can be brought back up at any time for the next 2 years.
The Status Conference happens between the defense, the prosecution, and the judge. At the status conference, they will discuss the merits of the case, potential outcomes, evidence, etc. It is extremely important to have a skilled South Phoenix or Tempe DUI defense attorney with you at this time to negotiate a potential plea deal or file any necessary motions.
It is very important that you have an experienced attorney in the pre-file stage in the South Mountain Justice Court. This stage sets the groundwork for how your case will go. Before being indicted a skilled attorney may be able to convince the Judge presiding over the case to reduce or dismiss the charges.
The arraignment hearing is where you will plead not guilty or guilty. It must be 10 days after the indictment if you are in custody. The court has 30 days from the indictment if you are not in custody. If you plead not guilty a date will be set for the hearing. If you plead not guilty a date will be set for the sentencing hearing.
Similar to a status conference, Judges also use pre-trial conferences to encourage settling cases. At the conference, the judge and the lawyers can review the evidence and clarify the issues in dispute. This is the last time to come to a resolution before trial.
When the hearing date arrives, it is important to have an experienced DUI/DWI attorney with you. There are two options. If you pled not guilty you will go before a jury, evidence will be presented, and a verdict handed down. If you pled guilty the judge will read out the sentence. There are a lot of rules about how court works, what is and is not acceptable. When the appropriate time to speak and many more. This is another reason why it is important to have a skilled attorney with you. The Rosenstein Law Group has handled thousands of cases and knows the court proceedings.
Driving under the influence penalties can be expensive, reaching 25 thousand dollars in some cases. Make sure you have a lawyer who knows how to navigate the South Mountain Justice Court. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 480-248-7666 or scheduling an appointment online today. They are available 24/7 and ready to help with your case.