Fingerprint Orders for Criminal Charges
An individual who has been charged with a misdemeanor or felony crime in Arizona will be summoned to be fingerprinted. According to the Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure Rule 3.2, this summons will be issued no more than 30 days after an indictment, information, or complaint is filed.
For many misdemeanor criminal charges, the defendant will be ordered to report to be photographed and fingerprinted. However, certain offenses require a defendant to report to a law enforcement agency to provide a 10-print set of fingerprints. These offenses include any felony offense, as well as sexual offenses, drug offenses, and assault, among others.
Failing to be fingerprinted as ordered has serious consequences, including being arrested until the fingerprinting has been completed.
Many people do not realize that any fingerprints that were taken when a defendant was initially booked for their offense do not satisfy this fingerprint order. Defendants must be fingerprinted again pursuant to their court order.
The court order for fingerprints will provide information regarding where a defendant may go to complete their fingerprint order. Typically, this will be done at a local sheriff’s office or county jail. Some locations allow walk-ins while other require the scheduling of an appointment.
In some cases, if a defendant is not local to the location in which they were charged, they may be able to complete their fingerprinting out of county or even out of state. However, a defendant should always seek confirmation from the court in which they were charged prior to doing so to ensure their fingerprints are compliant with their court order.
Many defendants worry that they will be arrested when they show up to a law enforcement facility to complete their fingerprint order. This is unlikely to happen. Unless the defendant has an active warrant regarding another charge, they will not be arrested at this time.
Rideout Law Group assists every client with the fingerprint process to ensure these orders are completed on time and through a court-approved location.
RIDEOUT LAW GROUP
With offices in Lake Havasu City and Scottsdale, our firm serves the entire state of Arizona, with a particular focus on criminal defense, family law, and juvenile cases.
Our goal is for the best outcome for your criminal case, which can include:
- charges that are reduced or dropped.
- top experts reviewing your case.
- aggressive negotiations with the prosecution for plea bargains.
- fines or probation in lieu of jail time.
At Rideout Law Group, our attorneys are able to expertly examine the evidence in your case to provide a strong strategy for argument that leads to an outcome that is most favorable to you. We have experience in all types of criminal cases for both adults and juveniles, with positive outcomes both in plea negotiations as well as jury trial settings.
Call us today for a free consultation at 480-584-3328.