06 May How Solicitation Changes a Criminal Charge
According to the Arizona penal code, every crime has a definition and a recommended sentence. However, many crimes can also range in severity. When there is a qualifier like “attempted” or “aggravated” it can make the charges more or less severe. Here’s how adding “solicitation” to a criminal charge changes the sentencing.
How the State of Arizona Defines Solicitation
In Arizona, solicitation is not a crime by itself—it is a classification that describes other charges. For example, let’s take the first charge that comes to mind: soliciting prostitution. Prostitution is the crime, and soliciting is the type of crime. Another example is soliciting a bribe—the classifier “solicitation” can also be added to charges of bribery.
Solicitation means that someone knowingly and willingly asks another party to participate in a crime. Solicitation can be made using:
- Commands
- Encouragement
- Requests
- Payments
Soliciting a Crime Makes the Charges Less Severe
To start, let’s take a look at an example: solicitation of aggravated assault.
The base crime is aggravated assault, a class 3 felony that has a prison sentence of 2 to 25 years.
Here’s how adding a solicitation classifier changes the charges:
First, it changes the definition of the crime. Solicitation of aggravated assault means the defendant asked or paid someone else to make an assault on another person. Although the defendant did not actually commit assault, they did ask someone else to do it for them, which is a slightly different type of crime.
Next, it changes the class of crime. Solicitation changes the assault charge from a class 3 felony to a class 5, with a much lower prison sentence (6 months to 7 years).
Here’s how the class of crime changes when it is only for solicitation:
- A class 1 felony becomes a class 3 felony
- A class 2 felony becomes a class 4 felony
- A class 3 felony becomes a class 5 felony
- A class 4 felony becomes a class 6 felony
- A class 5 felony becomes a class 1 misdemeanor
- A class 6 felony becomes a class 2 misdemeanor
- A class 1 or 2 misdemeanor becomes a class 3 misdemeanor
A Good Lawyer Can Get Your Charges Reduced or Dropped
If you are facing criminal charges, you need to speak with a criminal defense attorney right away. Just because the crime was only attempted or solicited, doesn’t get you off the hook. You need a certified defense attorney who has a strong knowledge of the law and who will also fight for your rights.
Don’t let criminal charges ruin your future. Contact Todd Coolidge today to request a consultation. He believes every case is important and deserving of his personal attention. With over 25 years of experience in Arizona criminal courts, he is your ticket to the best legal outcome.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (5/6/25). Photo by Aleix Ventayol on Unsplash.