ARIZONA CRIMINAL DEFENSE

Under Arizona’s criminal laws, the punishments prescribed for felony convictions are controlled by mandatory sentencing guidelines.  These guidelines can place too much power in the hands of the prosecutor by making sure that a person charged with a criminal offense is facing a long prison sentence.  These guidelines often prevent the judge from giving a reasonable sentence if a conviction occurs. As a result, prosecutors will often offer the defendant a plea bargain that is overly harsh, requiring years of prison since they know the judge must give an even longer sentence without the agreement.

Mr. Borrelli is a committed criminal defense attorney who works hard to minimize the effect of any criminal charges on his clients.  He is experienced in fighting for the rights and the innocence of his clients.  He will fight through trial to convince the jury of his client’s innocence.  As a criminal defense attorney and a trial lawyer, Mr. Borrelli knows that preparation is a major component of any successful trial.  He works hard during the discovery phase of a case to ensure that he knows all the facts, before the witnesses take the stand.  Mr. Borrelli conducts pretrial defense interviews with witnesses including the police officers involved in a case to know what will be said at trial and be ready ahead of time to handle it.  

When necessary, Mr. Borrelli employs professional investigators to help with the development of a case.  He also fights with pretrial motions to make sure that any irrelevant and prejudicial evidence or testimony is not allowed.  Additionally as an active member of Arizona’s criminal defense community and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ), Mr. Borrelli stays informed of new legal developments, enabling him to better identify and fight any relevant issues in a client’s case. 

In cases where clients do not wish to fight at trial, Mr. Borrelli fights in his negotiations with prosecutors to get the minimal punishment possible for all criminal offenses.  His experience as a criminal defense attorney in dealing with Arizona’s prosecuting agencies and his knowledge of the system often enable him to reduce the punishment sought by the prosecutor and obtain reduced plea agreements for his clients.  Mr. Borrelli also works hard in the sentencing phase of a case to persuade the Court to give the minimum sentence allowed.  

Through memoranda to the court and investigation into a clients background, Mr. Borrelli’s clients have often received mitigated sentences.  Mr. Borrelli has dealt with numerous clients who have mental health and/or substance abuse problems.  When necessary, Mr. Borrelli employs experts from these fields to help diagnose problems, which may indicate that a client needs a sentence geared more toward treatment than punishment in prison.

Finally, in some instances a client may know that he is being accused of a crime before any charges are filed.  This often occurs in sex crimes and fraud cases.  Mr. Borrelli works in dealing with the Police and the prosecutors responsible for charging criminal offenses.  A client’s perspective can be presented to the prosecutor before any charges are filed, showing the prosecutor that they do not have a strong case.  In many instances, this can lead to no charges ever being filed in the first place.