Initial appearance court (Intake, Transfer and Release)
The first court date after an arrest, within 24 hours. Release conditions, including any no-contact order, are set here.
2670 S. 28th Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85009
Tempe stalking defense
Stalking Lawyer in Tempe, AZ
Release terms come first. The defense comes right after.
A stalking accusation in Tempe often grows out of a relationship or friendship that ended badly, and the evidence is usually months of messages, location data and social media activity read in the worst light. Because Arizona has no misdemeanor version, the charge starts as a felony.
We can help. Nova Law Group was built by a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial, and we take a meticulous, aggressive approach, fighting from every angle, because the report is only one side of the story.
Talk to us before you talk to anyone else. Call (480) 405-6767. Consultations are free and confidential, and the earlier we are involved, the more we can do.
FounderRyan TaitFormer Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutorMeet Ryan →★ 5-star reviewsFormer felony prosecutorAvailable after hoursFlat fee on most criminal casesFree, confidential consultation
The charges
How a Tempe stalking investigation unfolds
First court date
Within 24 hours of an arrest. On a felony booking into the county jail, release conditions are set at the jail court, 2670 S. 28th Dr. in Phoenix.
Misdemeanor
The Tempe City Attorney's Office, Criminal Division, brings it in Tempe Municipal Court, 140 E. Fifth Street.
Felony
The County Attorney brings it in Superior Court in downtown Phoenix, 201 W. Jefferson St. or 175 W. Madison St.
Other agencies
A DPS or Sheriff's case can be assigned to a county justice court. The citation names the court.
Stalking cases tend to build slowly. A person reports to Tempe Police with screenshots, call logs or a list of dates, and an officer or detective follows up. The department's Investigations Division lists a Violent Crimes Section and a Major Crimes Section; its page does not say which unit takes stalking reports, so expect any detective to be gathering evidence. You do not have to give an interview, and it is wise to speak with a lawyer before returning any call.
Students and campus housing raise a second track. ASU Police are a full-service agency with original jurisdiction on property the Arizona Board of Regents owns or controls, so a report from a residence hall or classroom building may be theirs. Student discipline is separate: the Dean of Students, not the police, enforces the Student Code of Conduct, and statements made in one process can surface in the other.
Often a civil order comes first. Tempe Municipal Court issues orders of protection, and someone who is not a partner, relative or household member may seek an injunction against harassment instead. Neither is a criminal charge, but contact after service can create new ones. Once served, keep every term exactly.
The charging decision belongs to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, since stalking is always a felony. Some cases begin with an arrest; others arrive as a summons or indictment weeks later. Felony hearings are held in Superior Court's downtown criminal complex, the Central Court Building at 201 W. Jefferson St. or the South Court Tower at 175 W. Madison St. Confirm the building on your current notice. Anyone booked into the county jail on a felony has an initial appearance at the Intake, Transfer and Release facility, 2670 S. 28th Dr., Phoenix, where release conditions, usually including no contact with the reporting person, are set.
If the County Attorney declines a stalking charge, the same facts may still be charged as harassment, a class 1 misdemeanor, which for a Tempe Police report means the Tempe Prosecutor's Office and Tempe Municipal Court on Fifth Street.
The law
The elements of § 13-2923
Stalking requires intentionally or knowingly engaging in a course of conduct directed toward another person that causes that person one of two results (§ 13-2923(A)):
Paragraph 1Emotional distress, or a reasonable fear of damage to their property, or of physical injury to themselves, their family member, their domestic animal or livestock, someone they have dated or been intimate with, or a person living in their household now or within the prior six months. Class 5 felony (§ 13-2923(C)).
Paragraph 2A reasonable fear of death, of the person or of one of those people or animals. Class 3 felony (§ 13-2923(C)).
Course of conduct (§ 13-2923(D)(1)(a)), done directly, indirectly or through third persons, means any of these:
- Keeping visual or physical proximity to a specific person, or directing threats at them, express or implied, on two or more occasions over a period of time, however short.
- Using an electronic, digital or GPS device to surveil a person or their internet or wireless activity without authorization, continuously for twelve hours or more or on two or more occasions.
- Communicating, on more than one occasion, by email or electronic communication directed at a specific person without authorization and without a legitimate purpose.
What it excludes. Constitutionally protected activity, and activity authorized by law or by the other person (or a minor's parent or guardian), is not a course of conduct (§ 13-2923(D)(1)(b)). Under § 13-2923(D)(2), emotional distress is significant mental suffering, whether or not it needed treatment or counseling.
Sentencing for a first felony. Under § 13-702(D), class 5 runs .5 to 2.5 years (presumptive 1.5) and class 3 runs 2 to 8.75 years (presumptive 3.5).
When the people involved share a relationship listed in § 13-3601(A), stalking can also be designated domestic violence.
Stalking Lawyer in Tempe, AZ
Where a stalking case can be tested
Who did it? Shared accounts, spoofed numbers and tracking apps installed by someone else raise authorship questions. Device and account records can answer them.
Avoiding jail is not the same as avoiding a conviction. A felony conviction makes a person a prohibited possessor until the right is restored (§ 13-3101(A)(7)(b)), and federal law bars firearms after a conviction punishable by more than a year (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)). A crime of stalking is a deportation ground (8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(E)(i)). Federal law also has its own stalking offense, 18 U.S.C. § 2261A, covering conduct tied to interstate travel or interstate communication facilities.
The full record matters
Screenshots are excerpts. Complete threads, call histories and account data show context, replies and who started each exchange. Keep everything and delete nothing.
Count the occasions
The definition needs two or more occasions, or more than one communication, of the listed kinds. Isolated contact, or contact that was invited, may fall short.
Legitimate purpose and authorization
Messages about a shared child, a lease, money or property can have a lawful reason, and contact the other person authorized is excluded by statute.
The result element
The State must prove actual emotional distress or a reasonable fear. Class 3 requires a reasonable fear of death, which is a higher bar.
Follow every release term
Do not contact the reporting person by any means, including comments, likes, tags, gifts or messages through friends or family, and do not reply if they contact you. Save what you receive for your lawyer.
The law
Sources: Arizona statutes and Cornell Law School
The texts this page's legal points come from.
- § 13-2923, stalking (azleg.gov)
- § 13-2921, harassment (azleg.gov)
- § 13-3602, orders of protection (azleg.gov)
- § 13-3601, offenses that can carry the DV label (azleg.gov)
- § 13-702, first felony sentencing (azleg.gov)
- § 13-3101, prohibited possessors (azleg.gov)
- 18 U.S.C. § 922 (Cornell LII)
- 8 U.S.C. § 1227 (Cornell LII)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2261A (Cornell LII)
Stalking Lawyer in Tempe, AZ
A former felony prosecutor on your stalking case
Nova Law Group was built by Ryan Tait, a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor. The practice is criminal defense first. We keep caseloads deliberately low, which means the lawyers on your case have time to actually watch the video and read the reports line by line, and every message in the thread. We take cases to trial when trial is the right pressure. Overcharging happens, and a case that is genuinely prepared for trial changes the conversation with the prosecutor. Most criminal cases are quoted as a flat fee. Consultations are free and confidential.
Former felony prosecutorBuilt by a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor.
Low caseloadsTime to watch the video and read the reports line by line.
Ready for trialA case prepared for trial changes the conversation with the prosecutor.
Flat feeMost criminal cases are quoted as a flat fee. Consultations are free and confidential.
Our office
Meet us on Camelback Road
Office: 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Tempe clients meet with us by appointment.
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Resources
Tempe courts and official links
Where a Tempe case is heard depends on the charge and the agency. Some offices are in Tempe and some are in Phoenix. Each card has directions and the official website, so you can check details before you go.
Tempe Municipal Court
Tempe misdemeanors and criminal traffic cases, from arraignment to trial. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone (480) 350-8271.
140 E. Fifth Street, Tempe, AZ 85281Tempe City Attorney's Office, Criminal Division
The Prosecutor's Office for Tempe misdemeanors in Tempe Municipal Court. Phone 480-350-8280.
140 E. Fifth Street, Suite 301, Tempe, AZ 85281Maricopa County Superior Court, downtown
Felony cases prosecuted by the County Attorney. Confirm the building on your current notice.
Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Laws cited on this page
- A.R.S. § 13-2923, Stalking; classification; exceptions; definitions
- A.R.S. § 13-2921, Harassment; classification; definition
- A.R.S. § 13-3602, Order of protection; procedure; contents; arrest for violation; penalty
- A.R.S. § 13-3601, Domestic violence; definition; classification; sentencing option; arrest and procedure for violation
- A.R.S. § 13-702, First time felony offenders; sentencing; definition
- A.R.S. § 13-3101, Definitions
Common questions
Tempe stalking questions
Talk to a lawyer first. You have no duty to give an interview, and explanations given without context can become the State's evidence of a course of conduct or of intent. A lawyer can contact the detective for you, learn what is being investigated and decide whether any statement helps. Do not reach out to the reporting person to clear things up.
No. Stalking under § 13-2923 is a class 5 felony, or class 3 when the alleged fear was of death. That is why these cases go to the County Attorney and Superior Court downtown rather than Tempe Municipal Court. Related conduct may instead be charged as harassment, a class 1 misdemeanor, which can stay in the city court.
They are separate. ASU Police can investigate incidents on university property, and the Dean of Students enforces the Student Code of Conduct. A student conduct meeting is not a court hearing, but what you say there may be shared or used later. Talk with a lawyer before you attend or submit a written statement, and follow any no-contact directive from either process.
The order is a civil matter, but contact after service can lead to new charges, including aggravated harassment, a felony. Follow it exactly, even if the protected person contacts you. Under § 13-3602(L) you may request one hearing on an order of protection in writing, and what you say there can be used in the criminal case, so plan it with your lawyer.
Stalking Lawyer in Tempe, AZ
Talk with us before any interview
Call (480) 405-6767. If a detective is calling or an order was just served, phone us rather than waiting on the form.
Nova Law Group, PLLC, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., by appointment.
Client reviews
Hear What Our Clients Say
From our Google reviews, plus Yelp and Avvo. These are clients’ own words, reproduced from our review profiles.
★★★★★
“These guys are the best attorneys in all of Arizona. It is definitely the most professional group of lawyers… I recommend this firm!”
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“Sydney was extremely thorough regarding every single detail of my criminal case… it ultimately resulted in a clear and powerful win for my case.”
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“They fought tirelessly for my case and helped me achieve a favorable outcome. Exceptional service and results.”
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“The firm provided me with the most professional legal representation possible. Mr. Ryan Tait patiently explained… beyond my expectations.”
★★★★★
“The best law firm that I have ever dealt with. The amount of passion & commitment that they dedicated for my case… truly what separated them from other law firms.”
★★★★★
“Oh my goodness, our lawyer Ryan Tait was amazing. He does what he says he’s going to do. A very patient lawyer… He’s a miracle worker.”
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“I was being charged with a few felony counts and facing a few years in prison… I made the best choice of my life calling this law firm.”
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“…they reached out to one of their attorneys and confirmed my suspicions; I’ve been worried this whole time about criminal charges, they put my fears to rest. HIGHLY recommend them.”
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“Helpful and clear direction in a time of uncertainty. Highly recommended.”
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“Ryan Tait was amazing and really helpful. I would recommend him.”
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“Alexis Brooks was my lawyer… She was extremely professional yet down to earth and always made me feel at ease and confident in my case. I would definitely recommend her for anyone that needs an excellent defense attorney.”
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“Spectacular representation! Sydney was very compassionate, diligent and professional. I can’t recommend enough.”
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“…Ryan and his team are kind, understanding, and very good listeners. Each member of his team was well educated, knowledgable and very professional.”
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“We hired Mr. Tait to handle a legal affair for a member of our family. It was a complex criminal case that required over two years of work! Through the entire effort, Mr. Tait kept us informed…”
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“My family hired Ryan Tait to fight for my family member… He went over all the pros and cons. He answered all our questions and calls. He knows what he is doing.”
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“Ryan is absolutely awesome and professional. He gave me all detailed advice I needed. He is nice and patient. I definitely recommend Ryan and his law firm!”
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“Excellent lawyers… and their honesty, and they helped me even though I do not live in Arizona.”
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Reseñas de clientes
Lo que dicen nuestros clientes
De nuestras reseñas en Google, además de Yelp y Avvo. Son las palabras de nuestros clientes, tomadas de nuestros perfiles de reseñas y traducidas del inglés.
★★★★★
“Son los mejores abogados de todo Arizona. Sin duda es el grupo de abogados más profesional… ¡Recomiendo esta firma!”
★★★★★
“Sydney fue sumamente minuciosa con cada detalle de mi caso penal… al final, eso resultó en una victoria clara y contundente para mi caso.”
★★★★★
“Lucharon incansablemente por mi caso y me ayudaron a lograr un resultado favorable. Servicio y resultados excepcionales.”
★★★★★
“La firma me brindó la representación legal más profesional posible. El Sr. Ryan Tait me explicó con paciencia… más allá de mis expectativas.”
★★★★★
“La mejor firma de abogados con la que he tratado. La pasión y el compromiso que dedicaron a mi caso… es lo que realmente los distinguió de otras firmas.”
★★★★★
“¡Dios mío, nuestro abogado Ryan Tait fue increíble! Cumple lo que dice que va a hacer. Un abogado muy paciente… Hace milagros.”
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★★★★★
“Orientación útil y clara en un momento de incertidumbre. Muy recomendables.”
★★★★★
“Ryan Tait fue increíble y de gran ayuda. Lo recomendaría.”
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“Alexis Brooks fue mi abogada… Fue sumamente profesional y a la vez sencilla, y siempre me hizo sentir tranquilo y seguro con mi caso. Sin duda la recomendaría a cualquiera que necesite una excelente abogada defensora.”
★★★★★
“¡Representación espectacular! Sydney fue muy compasiva, diligente y profesional. No puedo recomendarla lo suficiente.”
★★★★★
“…Ryan y su equipo son amables, comprensivos y saben escuchar. Cada miembro de su equipo demostró estar bien preparado, con conocimiento y gran profesionalismo.”
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★★★★★
“Excelentes abogados… y su honestidad y eso que me ayudaron que yo no vivo en Arizona”
Los resultados anteriores no garantizan un resultado similar.
Talk to a Tempe criminal defense lawyer
If you have been arrested, charged, or contacted by a detective in Tempe, the decisions you make in the first few days matter. We defend misdemeanors in Tempe Municipal Court and the justice courts, and felonies in Maricopa County Superior Court downtown.
Free, confidential consultation: (480) 405-6767
Prefer not to call? Send us your case details and a member of our team will follow up with you.
Tempe courts
- Tempe Municipal CourtMisdemeanors and criminal traffic cases from inside Tempe. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.140 E. Fifth St., Tempe, AZ 85281Court website Directions
- Justice courtsSome DPS and Sheriff's Office misdemeanors. Your citation names the court.Find your court
- Maricopa County Superior CourtFelonies, at the downtown criminal court complex.Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Court website Directions
Our office: Nova Law Group, PLLC, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., by appointment. Directions
Hable con un abogado de defensa penal en Tempe
Si lo arrestaron, lo acusaron o un detective lo contactó en Tempe, las decisiones que tome en los primeros días importan. Defendemos delitos menores en la Corte Municipal de Tempe y en las cortes de justicia, y delitos graves en la Corte Superior del Condado de Maricopa en el centro de Phoenix.
Consulta gratuita y confidencial: (480) 405-6767
¿Prefiere no llamar? Envíenos los detalles de su caso y un miembro de nuestro equipo se comunicará con usted.
Cortes de Tempe
- Corte Municipal de TempeDelitos menores y casos penales de tránsito dentro de Tempe. De lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m.140 E. Fifth St., Tempe, AZ 85281Sitio de la corte Cómo llegar
- Cortes de justiciaAlgunos delitos menores del DPS y de la Oficina del Sheriff. Su citación indica la corte.Busque su corte
- Corte Superior del Condado de MaricopaDelitos graves, en el complejo penal del centro.Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Sitio de la corte Cómo llegar
Nuestra oficina: Nova Law Group, PLLC, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. De lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a.m. a 6:00 p.m., con cita previa. Cómo llegar
RecognitionReconocimientos
Awards and ratingsPremios y calificaciones
Awards and ratings reflect the standards of the organizations that issue them. They do not predict the outcome of any case.Los premios y las calificaciones reflejan los criterios de las organizaciones que los otorgan. No predicen el resultado de ningún caso.