How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Criminal Case?

Home /  How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Criminal Case?

Hi, my name is Steve Glazer, I’m a criminal defense attorney with The Glazer Law Office. Today, we’re going to talk about time frames in criminal cases.

How long it takes to resolve a case. It really kind of depends on the complexity of the case. For a relatively simple case, a misdemeanor, you’re looking anywhere between four and six months.

Why does it take so long? Well, there’s a discovery process. We obtain the state’s evidence. We review the state’s evidence. We want to send a copy to the client. We want the client to review the evidence. We want to get together and then review the evidence, form defenses, have a strategy for the case and that takes time to formulate.

It also takes time to get this evidence. By rule, the state has to give their initial disclosure within a certain time period, but it’s a continuing duty to disclose. And a lot of times it just takes time to get everything that the state plans on using against you. It takes time to negotiate the case. It takes time to get court hearings. So, on average, give or take, four to six months for a misdemeanor.

A felony case, depending on how serious of a felony and someone’s criminal history, is going to dictate how long the case is going to take to resolve. For a murder case, easily one to two years. If it’s a capitol case, longer.

If it’s a low-level felony, a class 4,5, or 6 felony, give or take, you’re looking at six months, maybe eight months.

If it’s a class 2 or 3 felony, give or take, eight months to a year. If you have a criminal history, which would make mandatory prison sentences, then obviously, the more time you’re looking at, the longer it’s going to take to resolve the case, or to get to trial.

So, the more complex the case, the more co-defendants, the more criminal history someone has, the longer it’s going to take.

If you have any questions at all, about time frames and how long it takes to resolve a case, give me a call. I handle all criminal cases. I’ve been doing it for over 16 years. I can give you a good perspective on how long it’s going to take to resolve your case. My number, 928-213-5916.

Personal Injury

Criminal Defense

Estate Planning

DUI

Our Team

Glazer, Hammond & Smets, PLLC

Providing Experienced and Compassionate
Legal Counsel for Northern Arizona.

Request Your Free Consultation

Fields Marked With An “*” Are Required
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Our Location

Address 508 N. Humphreys St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Map And Directions