Felonies in Arizona are criminal actions subject to one or more years of imprisonment in a state penitentiary. Arizona law divides felonies into classes ranging from Class 1 felonies, which are the most serious, to Class 6 felonies, which are the least serious. Arizona Revised Statute 13-704. Dangerous offenders; sentencing establishes the following sentencing ranges, with a minimum, presumptive (most common sentence) and maximum sentence for each felony:
|
Felony |
Minimum years |
Presumptive years |
Maximum years |
|
Class 2 |
7 |
10.5 |
21 |
|
Class 3 |
5 |
7.5 |
15 |
|
Class 4 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
|
Class 5 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Class 6 |
1.5 |
2.5 |
3 |
Class 1 felonies include first- and second-degree murder. First-degree murder carries a penalty of life in prison or capital punishment. Second-degree murder has a presumptive penalty of 16 years in prison.
Aggravated circumstances or a conviction for a repeated offense makes a particular class of felony subject to greater penalties. Consequently, there are additional factors that affect sentencing, aside from the felony class — including whether aggravated factors will increase penalties or mitigating factors will lessen them.
If you face felony charges, your freedom is at stake — making it vital to have an experienced Tucson felony defense attorney protect you from harsh legal penalties.
At Nesci & St. Louis, criminal law is all we do and we have helped numerous clients effectively defend against criminal charges, including felonies.
