criminal speeding lawyer maricopa county cases need fast action in the Maricopa County Superior Court and the city courts across Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Goodyear. Call (480) 582-3637 for a free case review.
A criminal speeding charge in this county can bring a criminal record, jail risk, and insurance problems that last for years.
Is this your first criminal speeding case? If it is, your best path is often to keep it from becoming a criminal record at all. In Maricopa County, criminal speeding under ARS 28-701.02 is a Class 3 misdemeanor, and that means the case can follow you on background checks if it is not reduced.
What does first offense usually mean here? It usually means the state may be more open to a reduction if the facts help you. Derek Oliverson often looks for a civil traffic resolution so the charge does not stay on your record and does not bring the same insurance fallout. That matters because a civil traffic violation is very different from a misdemeanor.
Who handles the case depends on where you were stopped. Phoenix PD, Tempe PD, Scottsdale PD, Mesa PD, Chandler PD, Gilbert PD, Glendale PD, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and Arizona DPS all operate in the county, and each one can set a different case in motion. The prosecutor and the court matter just as much as the speed itself.
Why does first offense status matter so much? Because it gives your lawyer room to push for a better result before the case hardens into a criminal conviction. If you are worried about criminal defense, license suspension, jail time, or how long a DUI stays on your record, you are already thinking about the right things. This kind of charge should be handled early, before one mistake turns into a long problem.
Does a repeat case make things worse? Yes, it can. A second stop or a more serious fact pattern can make prosecutors less willing to agree to a reduction, especially if your speed was high or the stop happened in a school zone. Maricopa County courts take that seriously.
How does the charge get more serious? Criminal speeding is triggered by exceeding 85 mph, going 20 or more mph over the posted limit, or exceeding 35 mph in a school zone. If the facts suggest dangerous driving, the state may push harder and the court may look at the case differently.
What if you also have a DUI concern? Then the stakes can stack up fast. A DUI lawyer costs less than the fallout from a bad plea, and aggravated DUI is a different charge with different consequences. Even if this is not a DUI case, the same lesson applies: do not guess your way through criminal defense in Maricopa County.
Why do repeat cases need a sharper defense? Because the goal is still the same, but the path is harder. Derek Oliverson and David Tangren can focus on the facts that matter most, including whether the speed reading is solid, whether the officer followed the right procedure, and whether the prosecutor can prove the case the way they think they can.
Which court handles it? That depends on whether the charge is felony or misdemeanor and where the stop happened. The Maricopa County Superior Court at 201 W Jefferson St in Phoenix is the primary venue for felony criminal speeding cases in the county.
What about misdemeanor cases? Those are often handled in municipal courts across Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and Goodyear, or in Maricopa County Justice Courts. The court matters because each place has its own process, pace, and prosecutor.
Why does the venue matter so much? Because a case in the Central Court Building in downtown Phoenix is not handled the same way as a case at the Southeast Facility in Mesa or in a city court. Derek Oliverson appears in Maricopa County courts regularly and understands the differences that affect plea talks, timing, and trial strategy.
Who else is involved? The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony criminal speeding cases, while city prosecutors handle misdemeanor charges. If you are trying to protect your record, your license, and your future, knowing who is on the other side is part of the defense.
What is the legal risk? Criminal speeding under ARS 28-701.02 is a Class 3 misdemeanor. A Class 3 misdemeanor can carry up to 30 days in county jail. The charge also creates a criminal record if you are convicted.
What else can happen? The case can lead to 3 MVD points, insurance rate increases that often last for years, and other long term problems that go well beyond the ticket. The source facts say the insurance impact can average 40 to 60 percent for 3 to 5 years, and the total financial hit can exceed $10,000 over five years when insurance is counted.
Could it affect your license? Yes. MVD points can put pressure on your driving record, and for CDL holders the risk is even sharper. Arizona MVD reports convictions to the Commercial Driver License Information System, which can trigger disqualification periods for serious traffic violations. That is why people ask about license suspension, even when the case starts as a speeding stop.
What is the goal in many cases? To reduce the charge to a civil traffic violation. That can avoid a criminal record, avoid jail risk, and soften the long term damage. If you are thinking about what a DUI lawyer costs, compare that to the cost of carrying a criminal speeding conviction for years. The cheap choice now can be the expensive one later.
Where does the defense start? It starts with the stop, the speed reading, and the paperwork. Derek Oliverson looks at radar and LIDAR calibration, maintenance logs, and operator training records to see whether the number on the citation is reliable.
Can the speed zone itself be challenged? Yes. Arizona law requires speed limits to be based on engineering and traffic surveys. If the posted limit was not surveyed the right way, the defense may argue that the zone is not legally enforceable. That can matter a lot in Maricopa County, where enforcement comes from many different agencies.
What else can help? GPS data, dashcam footage, witness statements, and body camera video can all matter if they show a different speed or a different version of the stop. This is where criminal defense work gets real. You do not want guesses. You want records, video, and timing that can be checked.
Why hire someone who knows these courts? Because Derek Oliverson is a former judge, former prosecutor, and former police officer, so he knows how the case is built from all three sides. David Tangren helps bring that same practical focus to the file. Together, they work to push for dismissal, reduction, or a civil traffic result when the facts allow it.
What should you do right now? Save every paper, photo, text, and video tied to the stop. Do not guess at your speed, and do not call the other side to explain the case without legal help.
Who should you call? Call a criminal speeding attorney maricopa county clients can reach today. If you want a criminal speeding attorney maricopa arizona who knows how these cases move through Maricopa County courts, Derek Oliverson can review the arrest report and explain the next step.
What should you expect from the first call? You should expect a plain answer about your court, your charge, and your options. Derek’s team handles criminal speeding lawyer maricopa arizona matters across the county, and the goal is simple: keep the charge from becoming a lasting criminal record if possible.
Why act tonight? Because speed cases move fast, and evidence can disappear fast too. If you were cited by Phoenix PD, Tempe PD, Scottsdale PD, Mesa PD, Chandler PD, Gilbert PD, Glendale PD, MCSO, or Arizona DPS, the sooner the file is checked, the sooner your defense can start.
Criminal speeding under ARS 28-701.02 is a Class 3 misdemeanor. If convicted, you can have a criminal record on background checks.
A Class 3 misdemeanor carries up to 30 days in county jail. In first offense Maricopa County cases, jail is not common when the defense is handled well, but it is still a real risk.
A conviction can add 3 MVD points. For CDL holders, Arizona MVD reporting can lead to disqualification under CDLIS rules.
The source facts say direct fines typically range from $500 to $1,000 including surcharges, with insurance increases often averaging 40 to 60 percent for 3 to 5 years.
Derek Oliverson is a former judge, former prosecutor, and former police officer. That means he knows how reports get written, how offers get made, and how a bench sees the case.
He handles criminal speeding cases across Maricopa County courts and knows the differences between the city courts, the Justice Courts, and the Maricopa County Superior Court.
David Tangren is part of the team, so your file gets more than one set of eyes. That matters when the goal is to keep a criminal speeding charge from turning into a lasting problem.
The firm looks for the proof that can move a case, including calibration records, speed survey issues, GPS data, and dashcam video. The work is aimed at reduction, dismissal, or a civil traffic result.
Yes. Criminal speeding under ARS 28-701.02 is a Class 3 misdemeanor, so a conviction can show up on background checks. That is why many people push hard for a civil traffic reduction in Maricopa County courts rather than taking a quick plea.
Technically yes. A Class 3 misdemeanor carries up to 30 days in county jail. In practice, first offense cases in Maricopa County often do not end in jail when the defense is handled well, but the risk is real and the court can still impose it.
If the charge is felony, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office handles it. If it is misdemeanor, a city prosecutor usually handles it in the municipal court. The exact court and prosecutor depend on where the stop happened.
Yes. A civil traffic violation does not create a criminal record and carries no jail risk. It also avoids the criminal conviction that can lead to MVD points, insurance problems, and other fallout that looks a lot like a license problem.
Because the charge is different, the proof is different, and the penalties are different. But the same lesson applies. You want a lawyer who knows the local court, the agency, and the record consequences before you decide what to do next.
Oliverson Law defends DUI and criminal cases across Maricopa County, Maricopa County, and central Arizona. Pick your city below for local court details, or reach our Phoenix office directly.
Don’t see your city? Call (480) 582-3637. We defend clients across Maricopa County and central Arizona.
Call (480) 582-3637 and get a free case review. You do not have to sort this out alone, and you do not have to let one stop turn into a long criminal record.
