Phoenix Violent Crimes Lawyer
Charged with a violent crime in Phoenix? From assault to homicide, these are among the most serious charges in Arizona, and a dangerous-offense allegation can mean mandatory prison even for a first offense. Many of these cases are won on self-defense and the real story behind the accusation. Do not talk to police, call us first.
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What Counts as a Violent Crime in Arizona, and How Serious Is It?
Quick answer: A “violent crime” in Arizona is not one charge but a range, from a misdemeanor assault up to first-degree murder. What matters most is whether the State alleges a “dangerous offense” under A.R.S. 13-704, which means a deadly weapon or serious injury was involved. That single allegation strips away probation and triggers mandatory prison, even for a first offense. Many violent cases also turn on self-defense and who the aggressor really was. Do not talk to police before you call us. 623-321-4699, 24/7 and confidential.
Both Sides
Former Prosecutors · Law Enforcement · Public Defenders
When you call Tamou Law Group, you reach a firm that handles criminal defense exclusively, with serious experience defending Phoenix violent crime and other violent crime cases across Arizona. Our team includes former prosecutors and law enforcement officers, so we know exactly how the State builds these cases, and where they fall apart.
At many large firms, the name on the building is a marketing figurehead, you rarely get them on the phone and your case goes to a junior associate. When you hire Tamou Law Group, your case is handled by a full team of attorneys, not associates, including Michael Tamou.
On This Page
- What Counts as a Violent Crime in Arizona, and How Serious Is It?
- Violent Crime Charges We Defend in Phoenix
- Why Phoenix Trusts Tamou Law Group With Violent Crime Defense
- Self-Defense: The Most Powerful Violent-Crime Defense
- The Dangerous-Offense Allegation: Why It Decides Your Case
- How We Defend a Phoenix Violent Crime
- Where Your Phoenix Violent Crime Case Is Heard
- Arizona Violent Crimes at a Glance
- Penalties & Sentencing
- Defenses That Work
- Our Defense Team
- FAQs
If you’ve been charged with Phoenix violent crime in Arizona, you probably have urgent questions about what you’re facing and what comes next. Here are straight answers to the questions people ask most, with a plain-English breakdown of the law under A.R.S. Title 13, the penalties, and the defenses that matter most.
Violent Crime Charges We Defend in Phoenix
“Violent crime” covers a wide range of charges in Arizona, from a misdemeanor assault up to first-degree murder. The offense, and whether it is alleged as a dangerous offense, changes everything about the penalties and the defense. We defend every type of violent crime in Phoenix, select your charge to learn more:
Awards & Recognition
Our recognition for Phoenix violent crime defense is independently verified, click any award to confirm it:
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
- Elite Lawyer 2026 – Criminal Defense
- Super Lawyers – Southwest
- National College for DUI Defense (NCDD)
Together, these place Tamou Law Group among the best Phoenix violent crime lawyers, led by Founding Attorney Michael Tamou and a full team of attorneys, including former prosecutors.
Why Phoenix Trusts Tamou Law Group With Violent Crime Defense
A violent-crime charge can mean years or decades in prison, and these cases are won on investigation, the forensics, and the real story of who did what to whom. Tamou Law Group is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Super Lawyers, and Elite Lawyer 2026, rated 5.0 on Google across hundreds of reviews, and ranked among the best aggravated assault lawyers in Arizona. Instead of a solo lawyer who hands your case to an associate, you get a full team of attorneys, including former prosecutors, led by Founding Attorney Michael Tamou. Call 623-321-4699, 24/7.
Self-Defense: The Most Powerful Violent-Crime Defense
Arizona has strong self-defense and justification laws (A.R.S. 13-404 and 13-405), including no duty to retreat (stand your ground). If you reasonably believed force was immediately necessary to protect yourself or another, your use of force may be completely justified, and once self-defense is raised, the State must disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt. We investigate who the real aggressor was, the threat you faced, and the witnesses and video the police overlooked.
The Dangerous-Offense Allegation: Why It Decides Your Case
The Allegation That Sends You to Prison
In Arizona, the single most important issue in most violent-crime cases is whether the State alleges it as a “dangerous offense” under A.R.S. 13-704, that the crime involved a deadly or dangerous weapon or caused serious physical injury. A dangerous-offense allegation strips away probation and triggers mandatory prison, even for a first offense.
What Makes It “Dangerous”
A felony becomes a dangerous offense when it involves the discharge, use, or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or the intentional or knowing infliction of serious physical injury. A car, a bottle, or a fist can qualify.
How It Changes Your Sentence
A non-dangerous Class 3 felony may be probation-eligible; the same charge as a dangerous offense carries a mandatory 5 to 15 years in prison with no probation and no early release. The allegation, not just the charge, drives the outcome.
How We Fight the Allegation
We attack whether a weapon was truly used or “dangerous,” whether the injury was “serious,” and the intent behind it, and we negotiate to strike the dangerous allegation, which can be the difference between probation and a decade in prison.
How We Defend a Phoenix Violent Crime
There is almost always more to the story than the police report, browse our Top 10 violent crime defenses. In every case we:
- Investigate self-defense and justification, who started it, the threat, and the reasonable response.
- Attack the “dangerous” allegation, whether a weapon was really used or the injury truly serious.
- Challenge intent, the difference between an accident, recklessness, and an intentional crime.
- Test the evidence, witness credibility and bias, identification, DNA, and medical findings.
- Suppress unlawful evidence, statements taken without Miranda and unlawful searches.
- Mitigate, to reduce charges, avoid the dangerous allegation, and keep prison off the table.
Where Your Phoenix Violent Crime Case Is Heard
A felony violent crime is prosecuted in the Maricopa County Superior Court (175 W. Madison Ave.), while a misdemeanor assault or disorderly conduct is heard in Phoenix Municipal Court or the local justice court. Homicide and dangerous-offense cases are charged aggressively and move quickly, so the time to build your defense is now. See our Arizona court directory for locations and what to expect.
Arizona Violent Crimes at a Glance
The charge, the class, and your prison exposure turn on the offense and whether it is alleged as a dangerous offense. Here is how the main Arizona violent crimes compare.
| Offense | Statute | Typical Classification | Prison Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Degree Murder | A.R.S. 13-1105 | Class 1 felony | Life or death penalty |
| Second-Degree Murder | A.R.S. 13-1104 | Class 1 felony | 10–25 yrs (presumptive 16) |
| Manslaughter | A.R.S. 13-1103 | Class 2 (dangerous) | 7–21 yrs |
| Negligent Homicide | A.R.S. 13-1102 | Class 4 felony | 1–3.75 yrs |
| Aggravated Assault | A.R.S. 13-1204 | Class 2–6 felony | Probation to 15 yrs (if dangerous) |
| Assault | A.R.S. 13-1203 | Class 1–3 misd. | Up to 6 months jail |
| Armed Robbery | A.R.S. 13-1904 | Class 2 (dangerous) | 7–21 yrs, mandatory |
| Kidnapping | A.R.S. 13-1304 | Class 2 (dangerous) | 7–21 yrs, mandatory |
| Disorderly Conduct | A.R.S. 13-2904 | Class 1 misd. / Class 6 felony | Jail to ~2 yrs (if weapon) |
| Misconduct Involving Weapons | A.R.S. 13-3102 | Class 1 misd. to Class 2 felony | Varies widely |
General guide only; the exact class and sentence turn on the facts, your record, and whether the offense is alleged as a dangerous offense (A.R.S. 13-704).
What the State Must Prove for Phoenix Violent Crimes
To convict you of Phoenix Violent Crimes under A.R.S. Title 13, the prosecutor must prove every one of these elements beyond a reasonable doubt. If even one fails, the charge fails.
- 1A knowing, intentional, or reckless act. The State must prove your mental state, and the difference between intentional, reckless, and accidental conduct changes everything.
- 2Use or threat of force. Most violent crimes require proof you used, attempted, or threatened physical force, which self-defense can justify.
- 3Serious physical injury or a deadly weapon. These are what elevate an assault to aggravated, and a felony to a dangerous offense, and both are challengeable.
- 4Causation. In homicide and injury cases, the State must prove your act actually caused the harm, not an intervening cause.
Examples of Conduct Charged as Phoenix Violent Crimes
- A bar fight or altercation charged as aggravated assault
- A self-defense shooting or stabbing charged as a violent felony
- A domestic dispute escalated to an assault or disorderly conduct charge
- A fatal car crash charged as manslaughter or negligent homicide
What Sentence Could You Actually Face?
Violent-crime exposure in Arizona ranges from probation-eligible misdemeanors to mandatory, decades-long prison for dangerous offenses and homicide.
Misdemeanor
e.g. simple assault / disorderly
Felony (non-dangerous)
e.g. some agg assault
Dangerous / Homicide
weapon, injury, or death
⚠ A Dangerous Allegation Is Not Automatic
Whether your case is a dangerous offense is frequently contested, and striking that allegation can move a case from mandatory prison to probation. See all Arizona violent crime charges, and call us before the allegation is locked in.
How We Fight Arizona Phoenix Violent Crimes Cases
Every case has weak points. These are the defenses we look at first.
Justification & the Real Story
Self-Defense / Defense of Others. If force was reasonably necessary, it is justified, and the State must disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
No Duty to Retreat. Arizona’s stand-your-ground law means you did not have to flee before defending yourself.
Mistaken Identity. Especially in chaotic incidents, identification is unreliable; alibi and video can break the case.
No Criminal Intent. An accident or reflex is not an intentional crime, the mental state must be proven.
Attacking the Evidence & the Allegation
Not a “Dangerous” Offense. We contest whether a weapon was used or “dangerous” and whether any injury was “serious.”
Witness Credibility & Bias. Many violent cases rest on biased or intoxicated witnesses with their own motives.
Suppressing Statements & Searches. Un-Mirandized statements and unlawful searches can be thrown out.
Mitigation. Provocation, mental health, and a clean record can reduce charges and avoid prison.
The Experts We Bring to the Table
Drug cases are built on lab reports, searches, and informants. We bring the specialists who take them apart.
Forensic Chemists & Toxicologists
Drug ID & Weight
Independently test the substance and its usable weight, the elements the State must prove, and expose flawed lab work.
Search & Seizure Analysts
How the Drugs Were Found
Reconstruct the stop, the search, and the warrant to find the Fourth Amendment violations that get evidence suppressed.
Informant & Buy Experts
Controlled Buys
Scrutinize confidential informants, controlled-buy procedure, and inducement, the weak core of many sale cases.
Chain-of-Custody Analysts
Evidence Handling
Trace the drugs from seizure to lab and expose gaps, mislabeling, and contamination that make the evidence unreliable.
Digital Forensics Experts
Texts & ‘For Sale’ Proof
Examine phone and message evidence the State uses to argue intent to sell, and challenge what it actually proves.
Treatment & Mitigation Specialists
Drug Court & Diversion
Build the case for TASC, drug court, and treatment-based resolutions that avoid a conviction or prison.
Recent Phoenix Violent Crimes Defense Results
Every case is unique and results depend on the facts, but these examples reflect how our firm handles Phoenix violent crime cases across Arizona.
Aggravated Assault (dangerous)
Dismissed
A self-defense investigation showed the accuser was the aggressor; charges dismissed.
Second-Degree Murder
Reduced
We showed no premeditation and real provocation; reduced to a far lesser offense.
Armed Robbery
Dangerous Allegation Struck
We defeated the dangerous allegation; probation replaced mandatory prison.
Aggravated Assault, Deadly Weapon
Not Guilty
A stand-your-ground defense led the jury to acquit.
Manslaughter (vehicular)
Reduced
We challenged causation and recklessness; reduced to a non-dangerous offense.
Disorderly Conduct, Weapon
Dismissed
We showed no reckless display; the charge was dismissed.
What Clients Say About Tamou Law
Real Google reviews from clients we have defended across Phoenix and Maricopa County. Every review is from a criminal defense client, never padded with non-legal work.
Clients reach us searching for a Phoenix violent crimes lawyer, assault attorney in Phoenix, aggravated assault lawyer, homicide defense attorney, and a Scottsdale violent crimes lawyer. Our Phoenix criminal defense lawyers and Scottsdale criminal defense attorneys defend Phoenix violent crime and other violent crime cases across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, and all of Maricopa County, from offices in both cities. This page is part of our Arizona arizona violent crimes practice. Call 623-321-4699 or contact our team for a free, confidential consultation, 24/7.
Arizona Phoenix Violent Crimes FAQs
Quick answers to the questions we hear most about Phoenix violent crime charges, penalties, and defenses in Arizona.
What is a dangerous offense in Arizona?
Under A.R.S. 13-704, a felony is a dangerous offense if it involved a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or the intentional or knowing infliction of serious physical injury. It carries mandatory prison and no probation, even for a first offense.
Is self-defense a defense to a violent crime in Arizona?
Yes, and a powerful one. Under A.R.S. 13-404/405 you may use force when it is reasonably necessary, with no duty to retreat (stand your ground). Once raised, the State must disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
What is the difference between assault and aggravated assault?
Assault (13-1203) is a misdemeanor involving injury, threat, or touching. It becomes aggravated assault (13-1204), a felony, when it involves a deadly weapon, serious injury, a protected victim (like police), or other factors.
How much prison time does second-degree murder carry in Arizona?
Second-degree murder is a Class 1 felony with a range of roughly 10 to 25 years (presumptive 16), and more with priors. First-degree murder carries life or the death penalty.
What is the difference between manslaughter and negligent homicide?
Manslaughter (13-1103) involves recklessly causing death or a death in the heat of passion, a Class 2 dangerous felony. Negligent homicide (13-1102) is causing death through criminal negligence, a Class 4 felony with far lower exposure.
Can a violent crime charge be reduced or dismissed?
Yes. With self-defense, weak identification, intent problems, or by defeating the dangerous allegation, violent charges are dismissed, reduced, and won at trial.
Will I lose my gun rights?
A felony conviction results in the loss of firearm rights, though they can sometimes be restored. Protecting against a felony, or restoring rights later, is part of the defense strategy.
Will I get a real attorney or a junior associate?
Your defense is handled by a full team of experienced attorneys, not associates, including Michael Tamou. Call 623-321-4699, 24/7.
Key Takeaways
- Arizona violent crimes range from a misdemeanor assault to first-degree murder; the charge drives everything.
- The dangerous-offense allegation (A.R.S. 13-704) triggers mandatory prison and removes probation.
- Self-defense and justification (A.R.S. 13-404/405) is a complete defense in many violent cases.
- A deadly weapon or “serious physical injury” is what usually elevates the charge and the sentence.
- If police want to talk, you are likely a suspect, say nothing and call a lawyer first.
- Your defense is handled by a full team of attorneys, not associates, including Michael Tamou, 24/7 at 623-321-4699.
Two Arizona Offices, One Team
We serve all of Maricopa County and the surrounding area, with free, confidential consultations 24/7 by phone and in-person meetings at either office by appointment.
Case Results Disclaimer: The results described on this page are based on specific facts and circumstances and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee future results. No attorney-client relationship is formed by viewing this page or submitting a contact form until a written fee agreement has been signed. Tamou Law Group, PLLC is licensed to practice law in the State of Arizona. This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.