Our Peoria, AZ criminal defense lawyers understand how life sometimes takes an unexpected turn and is not always for the better. Handling a traffic ticket or minor fender-bender within the Peoria city limits may be manageable. But when a police stop gets complicated with drugged driving, possession, or other offense, you need legal representation. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Under circumstances like these, the true sign of maturity is knowing when it’s time to seek legal advice from Stewart Law Group by calling 623-561-8200. You can contact our experienced criminal defense attorney Colin Bell at our Peoria office at any time for sound legal counsel regarding your case.
Contact Our Peoria, AZ Office
14050 N 83rd Ave Ste 290
Peoria, AZ 85381
Phone: 623-561-8200
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Why do you need a DUI Defense Attorney at Peoria City Court?
The day started out well enough, yet ended with an accident. Maybe you were driving home from Old Town Peoria after a quick drink with friends at a favorite restaurant or bar when your car was side-swiped. Whether under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or some other intoxicating substance, what began as a good day could end very badly.
Even if the accident was not your fault and the other driver admitted responsibility, police at the scene may request that you submit to drug or blood alcohol testing. (In Arizona, the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is .08%, but slight impairment below .08% still violates DUI law.)
You might be asked to perform a field sobriety test on the side of the road. The officer could seize your driver’s license and arrest you right there as your neighbors drive by. Next is a Class 1 misdemeanor DUI charge and arraignment in Peoria Municipal Court. If something like this has happened to you, then assert your right to counsel and begin preparing a strong defense.
Shared Misdemeanor DUI Jurisdiction with Peoria Municipal Court
City courts, including Peoria’s, share misdemeanor jurisdiction with the Superior Court. This includes Class 1 misdemeanor DUI cases. Because certain misdemeanor charges may be brought in either court, choose an attorney with criminal trial experience in both.
DUI defense attorneys making up Stewart Law Group’s Peoria legal team represent clients wherever Arizona DUI charges are brought. In representing clients like you, our attorneys have established a respected defense practice in the Superior Court in and for Maricopa County, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, in the Peoria Municipal Court, and in other Arizona courtrooms. This is our turf. We take pride in the quality of representation we consistently provide to our clients.
Defending Those Who Live, Work, and Play in Peoria, AZ
We appreciate how frightening all of this is for you and your family. We can defend you whether you:
- Live in the Townsend Square community
- Work at Vir Mar Industrial Park
- Were charged with an offense traveling through the City of Peoria on Grand Avenue
- Or anywhere else nearby
Your best offense is a great lawyer. Consult with an experienced defense lawyer with Stewart Law Group. We will guide you through each step in the criminal process and through appeal if necessary. You will always be informed and never left guessing. You will be treated respectfully and professionally.
Take comfort knowing how important you are to our Peoria defense team. We are dedicated to protecting each client’s constitutional rights and to launching a strategic, vigorous defense in every criminal matter. No one should ever feel cornered into entering a guilty plea as part of a plea deal.
This is what we do for our clients. This is what we can do for you, too.
Why Choose The Criminal Lawyers at Stewart Law Group? We’re Former Prosecutors
As former prosecutors, our defense attorneys can predict with reasonable accuracy those tactics the state or city prosecutor will employ during pretrial plea negotiations, at trial, and in sentencing hearings. Although most Arizona DUIs are misdemeanors, this area of law is notably complex. Too many lawyers mean well but lack crucial hands-on DUI trial experience. Whatever the circumstances, your DUI defense lawyer’s experience will really matter in bringing about the best possible outcome. As a client of Stewart Law Group, trust that we will always have your back.
What could lead to unfair results? Not appreciating the complexities of plea negotiations or failing to prepare a strong DUI defense strategy that raises reasonable doubt to an essential element of the crime.
With any DUI conviction, the defendant can expect mandatory jail time, substantial fines and assessments, probation, and a suspended or restricted driver’s license. Haunting collateral consequences of a conviction can also diminish employment opportunities for many years to come.
What Areas of Criminal Law Can We Help Defend?
Attorneys can specialize in several areas of criminal defense law. The criminal lawyers at Stewart Law Group have experience in a number of defense cases in the courtroom. Here are some examples of common criminal defense cases.
Theft Crimes in Peoria
To name only a few of the charges we have defended our clients against, we represent individuals who have been charged with fraud, bad check writing, vehicle theft, and shoplifting. What should you do when someone you care about has been charged with theft? Shoplifting from any Peoria store – slipping jewelry into a pocket or sliding DVDs into a purse – could result in misdemeanor theft charges. A repeat offender could face felony shoplifting.
While most shoplifting crimes are misdemeanors, shoplifting a firearm or taking something valued over $1,000, for instance, is a class 6 felony punishable with incarceration, punitive fines, and probation.
There are select defenses to every alleged offense whether it be theft, sale of narcotics, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, underage DUI, or white-collar crime. With theft, much depends upon the type and value of the item allegedly stolen and whether or not the person has any priors. You do not have to fight these charges alone. In Peoria, from Vistancia to Erin Groves, consult a Peoria criminal defense attorney with Stewart Law Group. Are you under investigation? We represent clients in pre-charge matters. Charged with assault or domestic violence? We can assist with that, too.
DUI Defense
Thousands of traffic stops every year result in charges of DUI and DWI (driving while intoxicated). Driving under the influence is operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level (BAC) over 0.08%. In most traffic stops, the average BAC registered on a Breathalyzer is more than double the legal limit. Our Peoria DUI attorneys can help to decrease the damage done to a defendant’s personal and professional life by finding the facts, and in some cases, getting the charges reduced, or helping the defendant keep the right to drive.
Domestic Violence Defense
A domestic violence offense or restraining order comes with a heavy stigma and significant personal consequences. In some cases, the victim is dishonest or is not telling the whole story of an event, resulting in wrongful accusation. Arrest or imprisonment because of a domestic offense is not always the end of the story. A domestic violence attorney in Peoria can find the facts and create a plan for the best shot at freedom and restoring the defendant’s name.
Drug Defense
The differences between charges for using drugs, possessing them, and selling them are massive. Along with those differences comes room for misunderstandings and charges beyond what is true. A drug defense attorney can learn every detail of a drug case and formulate an effective defense.
Expungements and Set-Asides
Despite having paid one’s debt to society, with any theft, fraud, drunk driving, or assault conviction, among others, a criminal record can be hard on an individual’s employment options. Potential employers are skittish of job applicants convicted of stealing something of value, assault, or some other crime. The lesser the offense charged, the less culpable the person, the lighter the sentence, and, generally, the better the conviction appears on the person’s criminal record. This matters when looking for a job, seeking certification, or applying for college. If convicted, then trust an attorney with Stewart Law Group to advocate for the least possible penalty at your sentencing hearing.
Have you completed your sentence and want to clear your record? Our criminal defense lawyers also represent clients in expungement and set aside proceedings. Addressing one’s record of past mistakes opens the door to greater opportunities for a better life.
Peoria Professional License Defense Attorney
As a licensed Arizona real estate broker, was an ethics complaint filed regarding your property listing near the Peoria Sports Complex? Was an employee accused of inappropriate behavior at the daycare facility you manage near Thunderbird Road and the Loop 101? Were you accused of a statutory violation by the Arizona Department of Insurance regarding your brokerage firm? Has a patient complained about improper medical record keeping? An attack on your license or certificate is an attack on you as a person and could permanently damage your reputation.
Do not stand helplessly by, allowing proceedings to go forward without legal counsel to vigorously defend your certification or license against allegations. Be mindful, no matter how insignificant or ill-founded a complaint may seem at the outset, what starts as a small matter can snowball into something much more damaging. Don’t let that happen. Hire an attorney to defend your license or certificates, your reputation, and your livelihood.
Along with our criminal defense practice, Peoria professional license defense attorneys with Stewart Law Group also represent individuals in disciplinary proceedings. Our clients are important professionals and business owners in the West Valley with complaints filed against them. Complaints carrying allegations, ones that could jeopardize licensure and certification by state agencies and governing boards. Our clients are accountants, healthcare professionals, daycare providers, insurance brokers, real estate agents, and other individuals accused of violating statutes, rules, and ethics codes.
Has a criminal conviction created an ethical violation or other problem with your certification? Our professional license defense team works tirelessly to help clients avoid disciplinary actions from the governing boards or agencies regulating their chosen fields. Let Stewart Law Group help protect the lifestyle and reputation you worked so hard to achieve.
Defending Your Profession and Occupation
Professional licensure and certification is not built on the apprenticeship of old. Today’s statutes, rules, and disciplinary proceedings (many of which are pseudo-criminal) are intensely legal matters. You know your practice area. You probably have a strong opinion about whether you violated ethics responsibilities or not, for example, but you are not in the business of defending licenses against complaints of misconduct, negligence, or worse. Plus, you are too close to it emotionally. However well-intentioned and sincere, you cannot be objective and distance your emotions when your acts or omissions are being challenged and scrutinized.
Whether or not you are an attorney, you have likely heard some variation on the maxim, “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Man or woman very rarely is it prudent to attempt representing yourself against a disciplinary board or judicial body, regardless of your training or specific occupation.
Get Help Protecting Your Livelihood –
Contact Our Criminal Defense Lawyers for A Free Consultation
How disciplinary proceedings are conducted, the standards of proof required, settlement procedures involved, penalties, governing statutes, rules, opinions, and regulatory details, are legal concerns. Confidently hire competent legal counsel to defend you throughout the proceedings. If criminal charges arise out of the same circumstances, then consult an attorney with Stewart Law Group on that as well. Instead of hiring two attorneys, stick with the one who can represent you against all allegations – criminal, pseudo-criminal, and civil. Any proceedings that could strip you of your license to practice or eliminate your occupation of choice must be taken seriously. Prepare your defense, take appropriate measures, and hire an attorney to represent you.
What Our Clients Have to Say:
“Though when you seek an attorney it is not for a pleasant situation, Melissa Bower made the process smooth. Melissa and her staff were there for me every step of the way to finalization and in the most informative and professional manner. Her suggestions and guidance provided clarity in the decisions I needed to make per my issue. Though the situation was painful, Melissa made the process painless. I highly recommend Melissa and Stewart Law Group! Definitely 5 Stars.”
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