One of the first questions people ask after an arrest is which court their case is in. It is not a trivial detail. The court determines what the maximum exposure is, how quickly the case moves, whether a jury is available, who the prosecutor is, and in many cases whether diversion is even on the table.
Arizona has three trial-level courts that hear criminal matters, and they are not interchangeable.
Municipal Courts
Municipal courts, also called city courts, handle cases arising inside a particular city’s limits. On the criminal side that means misdemeanors, including misdemeanor criminal traffic offenses such as driving under the influence, hit and run, and reckless driving where no serious injury occurred. They also handle civil traffic violations and city ordinance violations, and they issue orders of protection and injunctions against harassment.
What a municipal court does not do is hear civil lawsuits between private parties, and it does not try felonies.
Practically, this is where most first-time DUI and minor misdemeanor cases in the Phoenix metro begin and end. Each city runs its own court with its own prosecutor’s office, its own calendar, and its own approach to plea offers and diversion. Two identical cases in two neighboring cities can go very differently.
Justice Courts
Justice courts, sometimes called justice of the peace courts, cover geographic precincts rather than city boundaries, which means they usually handle conduct occurring outside city limits or in unincorporated areas. On the criminal side they hear misdemeanors and petty offenses. On the civil side they handle claims up to $10,000, and they share jurisdiction with the superior court over landlord and tenant disputes where damages fall between $5,000 and $10,000.
Justice courts also play a role in felony cases that catches people off guard. A felony can begin in justice court, where the judge conducts a preliminary hearing and decides whether there is probable cause. If there is, the judge requires the defendant to answer the charges in superior court. If there is not, the judge can dismiss the charges outright.
That preliminary hearing is one of the few early points in a felony case where a judge examines the state’s evidence before trial. It is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a formality.
Superior Court
The superior court is Arizona’s general jurisdiction trial court, with one in each of the fifteen counties. It hears all felony criminal cases and any misdemeanor not otherwise assigned to another court by law. It also handles civil disputes above the justice court limit, along with family law, probate, evictions and tax matters.
Superior court is also where appeals from municipal and justice courts are heard. If a case is decided in a city court or a justice court, the superior court is the next step, not the court of appeals.
Felony cases reach superior court in one of two ways: by grand jury indictment, or by being bound over after a preliminary hearing in a lower court. Which route a case takes affects the timeline and what the defense sees, and when.
Why the Venue Changes the Case
The same conduct can produce meaningfully different outcomes depending on where it is charged. Charging practices vary between city prosecutors and the county attorney. Diversion programs exist in some courts and not others, with different eligibility rules and different deadlines to apply. Some courts move cases in weeks and others in months. Judges within a single county differ in how they handle suppression issues and sentencing.
None of that is something a defendant can be expected to know. It is, however, the difference between a lawyer who appears in a given court regularly and one who does not.
Guides to Individual Arizona Courts
Detailed guides to specific courts, including locations, case types and what to expect. This directory is expanding.
Superior Court
- Maricopa County Superior Court — every felony in the county, plus appeals from city and justice courts. Downtown Phoenix complex and five regional centers
- Pima County Superior Court — Tucson, the second largest trial court in Arizona
- Pinal County Superior Court — Florence, covering Casa Grande, Apache Junction and San Tan Valley
- Yavapai County Superior Court — Prescott, with a Camp Verde division
- Coconino County Superior Court — Flagstaff, where I-40 and I-17 meet
- Mohave County Superior Court — Kingman, covering Bullhead City and Lake Havasu
- Yuma County Superior Court — Yuma, on the California and Mexico borders
Maricopa County City Courts
- All Maricopa County City Courts — addresses and phone numbers, including Peoria, Surprise, Avondale, Goodyear and Buckeye
- Phoenix Municipal Court — Arizona’s busiest limited jurisdiction court, roughly 160,000 charges a year
- Mesa Municipal Court — including Community Court and Veterans Treatment Court
- Scottsdale City Court — high DUI and photo enforcement volume
- Chandler Municipal Court
- Glendale City Court
- Tempe Municipal Court — large university and downtown caseload
- Gilbert Municipal Court
Justice Courts
- Maricopa County Justice Courts — all 27 precincts and the seven buildings they actually sit in
Where Nova Law Group Appears
Nova Law Group handles criminal matters in all fifteen Arizona counties, in municipal, justice and superior courts, as well as federal matters in the District of Arizona. If you are not sure which court your case is in, the paperwork you were given after your arrest or citation will say, and we can tell you what that means for your case.
Call (480) 405-6767 for a free, confidential consultation.
Related: Criminal Defense · What Happens After an Arrest · Diversion Programs · DUI Defense