Tempe Criminal Defense Lawyer
Charged in Tempe? Whether it happened on Mill Avenue, near campus, or anywhere in the city, you deserve a defense team that knows the local courts, and a price you can actually plan around.
Phones answered 24/7 · Flat fees with payment plans · No office visit required to hire us
- Most Tempe misdemeanors are heard at Tempe Municipal Court; felonies go to Maricopa County Superior Court. We defend in both.
- One flat fee covers your whole case, trial included. Payment plans and financing available.
- ASU students: the criminal case and the school conduct process are separate tracks. We help you protect both.
- In many misdemeanor cases we appear for you, so you miss less work or class.
Where Your Tempe Case Goes
Tempe cases follow a predictable path, and knowing it takes away a lot of the fear. The court your case lands in depends on the charge and on which agency charged you:
| Your situation | Court | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Most misdemeanors charged in the city (DUI, assault, disorderly conduct, shoplifting, and more) | Tempe Municipal Court | Arraignment, pretrial conferences, and negotiations with the Tempe prosecutor. We often appear for you. |
| Many other Tempe and ASU-area cases, depending on the charging agency | University Lakes Justice Court | Here is the part that confuses people: this court serves the Tempe and ASU area, but it sits inside a regional court building in Chandler with several justice courts under one roof. Check the official court locations page before you drive. |
| West and south Tempe cases, plus many freeway stops (Loop 202, I-10, US-60) | Kyrene Justice Court | Kyrene covers west Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Guadalupe, and handles many cases from the freeways that cross Tempe. It sits in the same Chandler court building as University Lakes. Two Tempe justice courts, one Chandler address. |
| Felonies | Maricopa County Superior Court | A more formal process with higher stakes. Early defense work matters most here. |
Not sure which court your paperwork means? Read it to us on the phone and we will tell you exactly where your case is and what happens next. We work these courts week in and week out, and we know how the prosecutors there evaluate cases. That is the leverage you are hiring.
Tempe Charges We Handle
DUI
From first-time DUI to extreme and aggravated charges, including the MVD license hearing, which we handle in-house at no extra cost. See our Tempe DUI page.
Assault and disorderly conduct
Bar fights, heated arguments, and misunderstandings on Mill Avenue happen. A charge is not a conviction. How we defend assault.
Drug charges
Possession, paraphernalia, and more serious drug allegations. Our drug defense approach.
Student cases
MIP, fake ID, DUI, and other charges that threaten an ASU student's future. We defend the case with the school process in mind.
Felony charges
When the stakes are highest, preparation wins. Felony defense.
Everything else
Theft, criminal damage, trespass, and the rest of Arizona criminal law. All criminal defense.
Your defense is led by Brielle Schumpe, our lead criminal defense lawyer.
Brielle leads criminal defense at Future First. She built her practice around one job: protecting people when their record, their job, and their freedom are on the line.
She challenges the stop, tests the evidence, protects your rights, and pushes the prosecutor for the best result your case allows.
You will know her by name. She will tell you the truth about your case, not what is easy to hear.
One Flat Fee. No Hourly Surprises.
Most people searching for an affordable criminal lawyer in Tempe are not looking for the cheapest option. They want a real defense at a price they can plan around. That is exactly how we built our pricing: one flat fee quoted up front, trial included, with payment plans and financing available. See our pricing page for how it works.
You also get the way we work: recorded video updates about your case, a group text with your legal team, and our advice in writing, so you always know where your case stands. Read what clients say or browse our case victories.
I have been where you are.
When I was young, I got a DUI. I owned the mistake and took the plea. My public defender told me to go to the MVD and get a new license. I trusted him.
A month later I was a passenger in a friend’s car, not driving, when a police officer pulled us over for expired tags. The officer took everyone’s ID. Because my license was suspended the moment I handed mine over, he treated my real license as a fake ID and arrested me.
I offered my passport to prove who I was. The officer told me to tell it to the judge. The prosecutor said the same. I was a broke college student, so I represented myself at trial. The judge said he did not have the power to drop it. Only the officer or the prosecutor did, and they refused. I was convicted for handing over my own ID.
I finished law school in two years, seventh in my class, and passed the bar on my first try. The conviction still cost me a year of my career and a job I had already earned.
Everyone who was supposed to protect me failed me. The officer, the prosecutor, the limits on the judge, and my own lawyer. This is why Future First exists. You need someone in your corner who fights for you and tells you the truth.
Tempe Criminal Defense Questions
Where will my Tempe case be heard?
It depends on the charge, who charged you, and where in Tempe it happened. Many Tempe misdemeanors go through Tempe Municipal Court. Justice-court cases split between University Lakes (the ASU area and much of Tempe) and Kyrene (west and south Tempe, plus many freeway stops), and both of those courts sit in the same building in Chandler. Felonies go to Maricopa County Superior Court. Read us your paperwork and we will tell you exactly where you stand.
How much does a criminal lawyer in Tempe cost?
We charge one flat fee that covers your whole case, including trial if it comes to that. Payment plans and financing are available, and we quote the fee before you commit to anything.
I'm an ASU student. Will my case affect school?
It might. A criminal charge and the university conduct process are two separate tracks, and handling the criminal side well protects you in both. Tell us your student status early so we plan for it.
Do I have to appear in person for every court date?
Often no. In many Tempe misdemeanor cases we appear for you or arrange remote appearances, so you miss less work or class. We confirm what applies to your specific case.
Can my Tempe charge be dismissed?
Some are. Outcomes depend on the evidence, your record, and how early we get involved. We push for dismissal or reduction first, and we prepare every case as if it will go to trial.
Will a conviction stay on my record forever?
Not necessarily. Arizona allows record sealing and set-asides for many offenses once your case ends. We build toward that from day one.
Talk To Us Before You Talk To Anyone Else
The earlier we start, the more options you have. Tell us what happened in a free, confidential consultation. Phones are answered 24/7.