Arizona Laws 13-501. Persons under eighteen years of age; felony charging; definitions
A. The county attorney shall bring a criminal prosecution against a juvenile in the same manner as an adult if the juvenile is fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time the alleged offense is committed and the juvenile is accused of any of the following offenses:
Attorney's Note
Under the Arizona Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 felony | up to life | up to $150,000 |
| Class 2 felony | up to 10 years | up to $150,000 |
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 13-501
- Adult: means a person who has attained eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Conduct: means an act or omission and its accompanying culpable mental state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Dangerous offense: means an offense involving the discharge, use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or the intentional or knowing infliction of serious physical injury on another person. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Deadly weapon: means anything designed for lethal use, including a firearm. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Felony: means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in the custody of the state department of corrections is authorized by any law of this state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Firearm: means any loaded or unloaded handgun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun or other weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of expanding gases, except that it does not include a firearm in permanently inoperable condition. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Historical prior felony conviction: means :
(a) Any prior felony conviction for which the offense of conviction either:
(i) Mandated a term of imprisonment except for a violation of chapter 34 of this title involving a drug below the threshold amount. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means a human being and, as the context requires, an enterprise, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a firm, a society, a government, a governmental authority or an individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
1. First degree murder in violation of section 13-1105.
2. Second degree murder in violation of section 13-1104.
3. Forcible sexual assault in violation of section 13-1406.
4. Armed robbery in violation of section 13-1904.
5. Any other violent felony offense.
6. Any felony offense committed by a chronic felony offender.
7. Any offense that is properly joined to an offense listed in this subsection.
B. Except as provided in subsection A of this section, the county attorney may bring a criminal prosecution against a juvenile in the same manner as an adult if the juvenile is at least fourteen years of age at the time the alleged offense is committed and the juvenile is accused of any of the following offenses:
1. A class 1 felony.
2. A class 2 felony.
3. A class 3 felony in violation of any offense in chapters 10 through 17 or chapter 19 or 23 of this title.
4. A class 3, 4, 5 or 6 felony involving a dangerous offense.
5. Any felony offense committed by a chronic felony offender.
6. Any offense that is properly joined to an offense listed in this subsection.
C. A criminal prosecution shall be brought against a juvenile in the same manner as an adult if the juvenile has been accused of a criminal offense and has a historical prior felony conviction.
D. At the time the county attorney files a complaint or indictment the county attorney shall file a notice stating that the juvenile is a chronic felony offender. Subject to subsection E of this section, the notice shall establish and confer jurisdiction over the juvenile as a chronic felony offender.
E. On motion of the juvenile the court shall hold a hearing after arraignment and before trial to determine if a juvenile is a chronic felony offender. At the hearing the state shall prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the juvenile is a chronic felony offender. If the court does not find that the juvenile is a chronic felony offender, the court shall transfer the juvenile to the juvenile court pursuant to section 8-302. If the court finds that the juvenile is a chronic felony offender or if the juvenile does not file a motion to determine if the juvenile is a chronic felony offender, the criminal prosecution shall continue.
F. Except as provided in section 13-921, a person who is charged pursuant to this section shall be sentenced in the criminal court in the same manner as an adult for any offense for which the person is convicted.
G. Unless otherwise provided by law, nothing in this section shall be construed as to confer jurisdiction in the juvenile court over any person who is eighteen years of age or older.
H. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Accused" means a juvenile against whom a complaint, information or indictment is filed.
2. "Chronic felony offender" means a juvenile who has had two prior and separate adjudications and dispositions for conduct that would constitute a historical prior felony conviction if the juvenile had been tried as an adult.
3. "Forcible sexual assault" means sexual assault pursuant to section 13-1406 that is committed without consent as defined in section 13-1401, paragraph 7, subdivision (a).
4. "Other violent felony offense" means:
(a) Aggravated assault pursuant to section 13-1204, subsection A, paragraph 1.
(b) Aggravated assault pursuant to section 13-1204, subsection A, paragraph 2 involving the use of a deadly weapon.
(c) Drive by shooting pursuant to section 13-1209.
(d) Discharging a firearm at a structure pursuant to section 13-1211.