How does a crime get charged?
You must first call the police to make a report. Once the police are called, the police may issue a charge at the scene by giving the Defendant an ATTC (Arizona Traffic Ticket and Citation) or send the report to a detective to conduct follow up work and then submit to the prosecuting agency. If the case is a misdemeanor, it is sent to the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. If it is a felony, the case is sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Once the case is sent to a prosecuting agency, an attorney will review the report and decide to charge the case, decline the case, or send it back to the detective for further investigation.
