When a lawyer uses an affirmative defense, they argue that the defendant’s guilty plea should be lesser or non-existent due to the extenuating circumstances. Even though the defendant admits their role in the crime, because of the situation they should not be held responsible for...
If you decide to go to trial rather than take a plea deal, the next step is choosing how to defend yourself. There are several routes you can take, from proving a lack of evidence to declaring a violation of constitutional rights. Your lawyer will...
When you hear about someone getting a felony charge, you might not realize that there are six classes of felony charges that could apply to a circumstance. Felonies, as a whole, consist of crimes that have a punishment of a year or more in a...
Fire is a fascinating thing to many people. It’s something that is difficult to control or predict and the beauty of the flames can be mesmerizing. Appreciation for this natural wonder ends, however, when someone sets a fire on purpose to cause damage. Setting fires...
At Coolidge Law, we want you to be aware of current changes in Arizona that will affect the legal system, health care systems, drug manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies. The new law regarding opioid use in Arizona impacts the dispensing of and use of opioid...
If you’ve been charged with a misdemeanor or felony in Phoenix, you will likely be appearing before court to receive your official charges and sentencing. The Arizona courtroom process can be a frightening thing regardless of whether you know what to expect or not. But...
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year or traveling to visit friends and family, at Coolidge Law Firm, we want to wish you a happy and safe holiday. We’ve also pulled together a few interesting holiday facts and figures that you may or may not already...
As a criminal defense attorney in Metro-Phoenix, Todd Coolidge has helped hundreds of clients through the arrest process over his three decades in criminal law. While we all hope the day never comes, if you are arrested in Arizona you should know the answers to...
Covid-19 in Arizona prisons is a serious matter. It’s changed life for inmates and has brought an extra measure of anxiety to their daily lives. The prisons are attempting to mitigate the spread of the virus with medical care, precautions, and testing. Are face masks provided...
Each day we’re faced with making hundreds to thousands of decisions: from what color of socks we’ll wear, to the type of toothpaste we’ll use, to what time we’ll leave for work. We may not consciously think about these smaller decisions, but they’re still choices...