Resources

Explore our personal injury and criminal law resources.

If You Like Freebies, You’ll Love Our Resources

At Allen & Associates, our personal injury and criminal law team works collaboratively with each client. Each time you ask a question, you’ll receive a thoughtful, in-depth response. We believe there are no dumb questions—and we’ll work with you to help you understand each aspect of your case and the laws that affect it. Although our attorney, Jamal, is your best source of information about personal injury and criminal law, we’ve also put together some resources for you.

The Arizona Revised Statutes is a database of all of the statutory laws in the state of Arizona. They do not include federal laws. You’ll see that you can navigate according to the different titles, which are the broad categories, before delving into the individual regulations. For example, if you’re looking for criminal law, go to title 13.

If you’re curious about the varying lengths of terms of incarceration and other legal penalties under criminal law, you can explore the sentencing guidelines for Arizona. They are updated from time to time, so be sure to click on the most recent sentencing provisions.

Glossary of Common Legal Terms in Criminal Law

Acquittal

When Jamal Allen wins your criminal case, you will be acquitted, or found “not guilty.”

Arraignment

Court appearance where the charges are officially read and your plea is entered. Always call our law firm before the arraignment—you will need representation.

Defendant

This is the person charged with a crime.

Felony

A crime that is more serious than a misdemeanor and punishable by one year or longer in prison. In other words, you really, really need legal representation.

Misdemeanor

A crime that is punishable by less than one year in jail. It’s less serious than a felony, but still pretty serious and yes, you still need legal representation.

Plea deal

An agreement between the state prosecutor and defendant pleads guilty in exchange for agreeing to the resolution of a criminal case.

Prosecutor

The lawyer for the government who is arguing in favor of the conviction of the defendant in court. If a criminal case was a football game, the prosecutor would be the quarterback for the opposing team.

Statute of limitations

Most crimes have a statute of limitations. The suspect must be charged within that time period or they cannot be charged.

Glossary of Common Legal Terms in Civil Law

Plaintiff

Also called the complainant or (fill in your name here), this is the person who is suing another person or entity.

Damages

This is the sum of money that the court awards to the plaintiff. In other words, it’s payday, baby!

Defendant

This is the person who is being sued because they were allegedly negligent.

Jury award

If a case goes to trial rather than settling, the plaintiff may win a jury award, or sum of money.

Negligence

Personal injury cases revolve around negligence. If a defendant is found negligent, then they failed to exercise reasonable care. For instance, a person is negligent for speeding through a red light or trying to put on makeup while navigating a turn. We don’t recommend doing that—nobody looks pretty in a hospital bed.

Settlement

Most lawsuits settle out of court. If the plaintiff agrees to a settlement offer, they are accepting a sum of money in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. Settlement talks may begin any time after a lawsuit is filed.

Statute of limitations

This is the time period in which a person must file a lawsuit or give up their right to do so. In personal injury law, it is typically two years, but there are exceptions.

Wrongful death

A wrongful death is one that could have been prevented but for the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of another person or entity.

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