It is important to understand how the Peoria Municipal Court handles cases like yours in order to prepare for your upcoming court date, and a skilled Peoria criminal defense attorney from Steven George Law can assist you in securing a favorable outcome. Facing traffic crime or misdemeanor charges can be overwhelming, but with an experienced attorney on your side it is possible to have your charges reduced to a lesser offense or even entirely dismissed.
The following information is about how Peoria Municipal Court handles certain types of offenses, your individual rights, and what you can expect from your court appearance.
What Happens When You Receive a Traffic Ticket or Misdemeanor in Peoria Municipal Court?
The Peoria Municipal Court handles criminal misdemeanors, traffic violations, city code violations, injunctions against harassment (IAH) and orders of protection (OOP) in Peoria, Arizona. If you have recently received a citation for a traffic offense, or if you have misdemeanor charges within the City of Peoria and have been ordered to appear in Peoria Municipal Court, you should have received a court date and time on your citation or summons.
When you receive a citation that contains a civil traffic offense only, you have several options:
- Attend Defensive Driving School;
- Pay the Fine; or
- Request a Hearing.
Additional information regarding civil traffic offenses can be found at https://www.peoriaaz.gov/government/departments/city-court/offenses
If you are taken into police custody on a traffic violation or criminal misdemeanor offense, the judge will also determine whether bail should be set and, if so, how much. If you are granted bail, you will need to pay your bail bond to secure your release. The judge will also determine what your release conditions are. Common release conditions include
- Do not leave the state of Arizona without permission from the court
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages.
- Do not possess or consume illegal drugs.
- Do not possess any weapons.
- Do not return to the scene of the crime.
- Do not have any contact with the arresting officers.
- Do not have any contact with the alleged victim.
- Do not threaten, harm, or harass the alleged victim.
Peoria Criminal Court Appearances
It is important to dress properly when you appear in Peoria Municipal Court. Casual business attire is appropriate for most court appearances. Tank tops or shorts are not appropriate for courtroom proceedings. Clothing with visible offensive wording is not permitted.
Everyone who visits the Court must pass through a metal detector and place all personal belongings through an X-ray machine to be viewed. In addition, persons and personal belongings may be subject to a search. Security is at the door immediately once you enter the front doors.
There are two floors of the Peoria Municipal Court. The first floor is where the court clerks is located. The clerks are seated behind the glass windows as soon as you walk into the building. The prosecutors’ office is also on the first floor at the end of the hall past the stairs. While there is one courtroom on the first floor, it is rarely used in criminal cases. The courtrooms that are generally used for criminal cases are upstairs on the second floor.
Arraignment in Peoria Municipal Court
If you have been cited for a criminal misdemeanor offense, you must appear at the Peoria City Court on the designated court date and time. At a criminal arraignment, you are advised of the charges pending against you. If you plead guilty or are found guilty, all fines assessed are due on the same day.
An arraignment is a court appearance in which you are formally notified of the charges that have been filed against you.
If you choose to plead not guilty, the Court will set a pretrial conference where you will have the opportunity to talk with a City Prosecutor to discuss possible plea negotiations. Be aware that the City Prosecutor is not your attorney, and he/she is prohibited from providing you with legal advice on how your case should be handled.
Pre-Trial Conference
Your pre-trial conference is an opportunity for your attorney to check in with the prosecutor on the status of the case. This can include discussing any outstanding discovery issues, and whether the charges against you can be reduced to a less serious offense or dismissed entirely. The prosecutor may offer a settlement in exchange for receiving a lesser sentence. After consulting with your attorney, you will have the option of accepting or rejecting the prosecutor’s settlement offer. If you reject the prosecutor’s settlement offer, your case will eventually go to trial.
Peoria Municipal Court Trials
Depending on the type of crime you were accused of committing, your case could be heard by a jury or the presiding judge. A trial by jury is simple referred to as a “jury trial” and a trial by judge is referred to as a “bench trial”. The difference is in who listens to the evidence and decides whether the prosecutor has proven each element of the alleged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecutor is required to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction. It is not up to the defense to prove innocence. If you are found not guilty, you are acquitted and released without penalty. However, if you are found guilty, you will be sentenced either immediately or at a later date.
Peoria Municipal Court Contact Information
Peoria Municipal Court is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The Court is closed on holidays. If you have a court date scheduled, you must appear at the following address:
10100 N. 83rd Ave.
Peoria, Arizona 85345
You can reach the courthouse by calling (623) 773-7400.
The courthouse is part of the Peoria Municipal Complex. Visitor parking is located off West Cinnabar Avenue on the upper level of the parking garage. Take the footbridge at the northeast corner of the garage to enter the courthouse.
West Valley Regional Veterans’ Court
Peoria Municipal Court participates in the West Valley Regional Veterans’ Court. If you are a veteran who has served in the military and you want to be considered for the Regional Veterans’ court, Steven George Law can assist you in determining your eligibility.
The West Valley Regional Veterans’ Court is a treatment court intended to assist Arizona Veterans transitioning from military service in the resolution of their criminal case through a cooperative effort among judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, members of the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs Justice Outreach program, human service agencies and Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, working together.
Veterans’ Court is a voluntary therapeutic treatment program and each veteran, upon entry/acceptance, will participate in a specified treatment plan based on an assessment completed by the VA or other health care specialists. Treatment may include weekly individual and group counseling, drug and alcohol testing, mental health treatment, medical treatment, and regular attendance at recovery support/self-help meetings.
If the following statements apply, you may be eligible to participate in the Veterans’ Court.
- Veterans who have served in the military and have been charged with a misdemeanor violation filed with any municipality participating in the West Valley Regional Veterans’ Court.
- Veterans whose case(s) cannot be processed through diversion programs.
- All Veterans regardless of military discharge, length of service, or if on active duty.
