# Criminal Defense Case Results 2026 | Grand Canyon Law Group

**Table of Contents***[*Expand*]*

1. Dedicated Criminal Defense in Action.
2. Why Former Prosecutors on Your Side Can Help Case Outcomes
3. Q3 2026 Results at a Glance
4. Criminal Defense Case Results by Case Type
5. Beyond the Verdict: Protecting Your Future
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. You deserve a law firm 100% dedicated to criminal defense.

## Dedicated Criminal Defense in Action.

*Last updated: October 2026*

Grand Canyon Law Group is built on a simple idea: the attorneys who know how prosecutors build a case are the ones best equipped to take it apart. Last quarter proved it. From July through September 2026, our Arizona criminal defense team secured **more than 40 favorable outcomes**, from city courts in Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale to superior courts in Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai counties.

Below are criminal defense case results from Q3 2026, organized by case type, so you can see exactly what we’ve done in cases like yours.

- **40+ cases won in Q3 2026**
- **20 charges dismissed, diverted, or reduced**
- **4 trial and contested hearing wins**

Case results depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each case. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.

## Why Former Prosecutors on Your Side Can Help Case Outcomes

Every criminal defense law firm can say, “we fight for you.” Fewer can say their attorneys have been former prosecutors, deciding which cases to charge, which evidence holds up, and which plea offers may be made.

At Grand Canyon Law Group, our founders are former prosecutors who use that strategy for every case we take.

Our attorneys review police reports and lab results the way a prosecutor would. We look for the gaps that get charges reduced or dismissed. We know what a prosecutor can and can’t move on, which is why our clients often get offers that look different from what a firm without prior prosecutor experience negotiates. And we know when a case could win at trial, and when it may not.

That strategy showed up all quarter. In one assault case, four different prosecutors refused to dismiss or offer diversion. Attorney [John Oyas](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/john-oyas/) obtained a [Rule 11 evaluation](https://www.maricopa.gov/5163/Services-Provided), supplemented it with the client’s prior records, and submitted a second deviation request. It was approved, and the client entered diversion.

## Q3 2026 Results at a Glance

**Charge reductions: 10.** Felonies reduced to undesignated offenses or misdemeanors, DUIs reduced to reckless driving, and criminal traffic reduced to civil.

**Diversion: 7.** Clients who may be able to have their charges dismissed after completing program terms, including felony and domestic violence cases.

**Motions and post-conviction relief: 7.** Set-asides, record sealing, release-condition changes, and a post-conviction evidentiary hearing.

**Sentencing wins: 6.** Probation or reduced custody where the State pushed for prison.

**Trial and hearing wins: 4.** Courtroom victories in criminal, traffic, and ADOT administrative hearings.

**Full dismissals: 3.** Cases dropped outright, including at the first pretrial conference.

## Criminal Defense Case Results by Case Type

### DUI Defense Results

When police get a DUI stop wrong, an improper field sobriety test, a faulty breathalyzer calibration, or an illegal stop, that mistake can be the difference between a conviction and a dismissal. Our former-prosecutor team knows exactly what evidence Maricopa County needs to make a DUI charge stick, which is why we know where to challenge it.

**Second Aggravated DUI, Pinal County: 6 months instead of 3.5 years.** The State’s first offer was 3.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections; its second was 1 to 3.75 years. Founding attorney [Ryan McPhie](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/ryan-mcphie/) secured a six-month sentence followed by probation.

**Two DUIs reduced to reckless driving, including a .186 Extreme DUI.** Both clients avoided a DUI conviction and the mandatory jail sentence that comes with it.

**Second Extreme DUI reduced to a first offense.** Attorney [Curtis Fischer](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/curtis-fischer/) negotiated the reduction, significantly cutting the client’s mandatory jail exposure.

**ADOT license suspension voided.** At the administrative hearing, the officer appeared but could not produce the test results. The suspension was thrown out entirely.

### Serious Felony Results

Felony charges carry consequences that go far beyond a courtroom. A conviction can follow someone into every job application, lease, and background check for the rest of their life. Our attorneys build every felony defense around that reality, using their prosecutorial background to find the weaknesses in the state’s case early, when it matters most.

**Kidnapping and Dangerous Aggravated Assault: probation, no jail.** Dangerous offenses in Arizona often carry mandatory prison. Attorney [Joe Tobler](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/joe-tobler/) secured probation with no jail time.

**Two counts of weapons misconduct: probation over a prison-only policy.** The State’s policy was to offer prison pleas only on prohibited possessor charges. Our team secured five years of probation instead.

**Class 4 felony reduced to a Class 6 undesignated felony.** Our team argued a [corpus delicti](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/corpus_delicti) issue: the State lacked enough independent evidence, beyond the client’s own statements, to prove a crime occurred.

**Class 2 felony reduced to an undesignated offense.** Attorney [Elliot Briggs](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/elliot-briggs/) negotiated one of Arizona’s most serious felony classes down to an offense that can later be designated a misdemeanor.

**Designated felony with jail rejected; diversion secured.** Attorney [Benjamin Richards](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/benjamin-richards/) turned down an Early Disposition Court offer of a designated felony and jail time, then secured diversion instead.

### Domestic Violence & Assault Defense Results

Domestic violence and assault allegations are often built on incomplete information, conflicting accounts, or accusations made in the heat of a difficult moment. Our criminal defense lawyers move quickly to make sure our clients aren’t defined by an accusation alone.

**Two trial wins.** Attorney John Oyas won on three charges in a case involving assault, disorderly conduct, and trespass, defeating the State’s request for 60 days in jail and securing unsupervised probation. In a second trial, he won full dismissals of assault and disorderly conduct charges.

**Aggravated assault reduced to disorderly conduct.** Attorney Elliot Briggs moved a felony aggravated assault charge down to disorderly conduct with probation.

**Three diversions in Domestic violence and assault cases.** Clients entered diversion on a domestic violence assault in Mesa, a bar-fight disorderly conduct charge in [Scottsdale City Court](https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/court), and a disorderly conduct case where a weapon allegation was dropped.

**Release conditions modified in a domestic violence case.** Attorney [Victoria Wilde](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/victoria-wilde/) won a Motion to Modify Release Conditions, allowing a client under a no-contact order to return home to her spouse.

### Probation, Post-Conviction & Record Relief Results

A single misstep on probation, or a conviction from years ago, shouldn’t have to define someone’s future. Our attorneys regularly help clients avoid revocation, negotiate alternatives to incarceration, and pursue record relief that can help to restore rights, employment eligibility, and peace of mind.

**Record sealed after a client’s passing, believed to be an Arizona first.** Attorney Victoria Wilde’s team filed through a personal representative and won. The decedent’s family called it a meaningful way to honor the client’s memory.

**Conviction set aside over State and victim objections.** Attorney Victoria Wilde won the Motion to Set Aside at oral argument.

**Evidentiary hearing granted in a post-conviction relief case.** Post-conviction relief (PCR) lets a court revisit a conviction based on issues such as ineffective counsel or new evidence.

**New felony while on probation: undesignated plea and release.** Attorney Joe Tobler secured an undesignated probation plea and the client’s release pending sentencing.

**Release conditions modified to relocate with family.** In [Phoenix Municipal Court](https://phoenixcourt.gov/), attorney [Jawana Baxter](https://www.grandcanyon.law/our-team/jawana-baxter/) won a motion allowing a client to move to Maryland with family while the case proceeds.

### Misdemeanor, Traffic & Juvenile Results

A misdemeanor or criminal traffic charge can still mean jail, fines, and a permanent record. We treat these cases with the same prosecutorial scrutiny as a felony.

**Juvenile charged with threatening: fully dismissed.** Attorney Jawana Baxter secured a full dismissal.

**Criminal speeding trial won.** When the prosecutor amended the charge to civil traffic, attorney John Oyas’s team kept fighting and won at the civil traffic hearing.

**Criminal speeding reduced to civil traffic in Goodyear and Williams.** Attorney Jawana Baxter kept both clients’ records free of a criminal traffic conviction. She also won a full dismissal of a reckless driving charge.

**Dismissed at the first pretrial conference.** A case in Williams Justice Court was dismissed at its first court setting.

**Shoplifting in Peoria: fine only.** The client avoided jail, probation, and potential charges tied to seven other incidents.

## Beyond the Verdict: Protecting Your Future

A dismissal or reduced sentence is only part of the outcome. Real results also mean:

**Employment and professional licenses protected.**

**Record relief secured.** Q3 2026 included a set-aside won over victim objection and a posthumous record seal.

**Probation terms preserved instead of revoked.** Including an undesignated plea for a client charged with a new felony while on probation.

**Families kept together.** Two release-condition motions let clients return home or relocate with family.

We call this protecting your future, and it’s built into every case strategy from day one.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### How many felony cases has Grand Canyon Law Group handled?

Since 2020, our criminal defense law firm has handled more than 900 felony cases throughout Arizona.

### Does Grand Canyon Law Group take cases to trial, or mostly negotiate pleas?

We do whatever is in the best interest of our client, whether that means negotiating a favorable plea agreement or taking a case to trial. There’s no default approach. Every case is evaluated on its own facts.

With our former prosecutor experience, we have a greater ability to identify whether a plea is truly the best option or whether trial gives our client a better shot at a favorable outcome.

We prepare every case as if it’s headed to trial. That preparation strengthens our negotiating position and ensures we’re ready to fight in the courtroom when that’s what best serves our client. In Q3 2026 alone, our attorneys won four trials and contested hearings while securing seven diversions and ten charge reductions at the negotiating table.

### How does being a former prosecutor help a criminal defense case?

Former prosecutors know how the state builds a case, what evidence it needs, and where it tends to be weakest. That insight shapes every stage of a defense, from the first review of police reports to plea negotiations to trial strategy. Our experience lends itself to helping our attorneys identify opportunities that other criminal defense firms might miss.

### What is diversion, and can I qualify in Arizona?

[Diversion](https://www.grandcanyon.law/arizona/diversion-program-lawyer/) lets an eligible person complete set conditions, such as classes, counseling, or community service, in exchange for dismissal of the charges. Eligibility depends on the charge, the court, and your record. It isn’t limited to minor first offenses. In Q3 2026, our attorneys secured diversion in felony and domestic violence cases, including one where the State first offered a designated felony with jail time.

### What is an undesignated felony in Arizona?

Arizona allows certain [Class 6 felonies](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/00604.htm) to be left undesignated. If the client successfully completes probation, the court can designate the offense a misdemeanor, which can mean no felony on their record. It’s one of the most valuable outcomes we negotiate in felony cases.

### What happens to my record after a DUI or felony case is resolved?

Even after a case is resolved, the record of the arrest and charges doesn’t just disappear. In Arizona, that record generally remains public and can show up on background checks, potentially affecting employment, housing, licensing, and other opportunities, unless action is taken to address it.

This is where record-relief options come in. Arizona offers two options, and which one applies depends on the case:

**Set Aside.** This asks the court to formally set aside the conviction, which shows that the case was resolved successfully and the person has completed their sentence. It doesn’t remove the record from public view, but it does reflect that the conviction was set aside.

**Record Sealing.** This is a more powerful remedy that can make eligible records unavailable to the general public, including on most background checks, though certain agencies (like law enforcement) may still be able to access sealed records in specific circumstances. Eligibility depends on the offense type and how much time has passed since the case was resolved.

Not every case or every charge qualifies for both options, and timing matters.

At Grand Canyon Law Group, we don’t consider a case finished just because it’s resolved. We help clients understand whether they’re eligible for a set-aside, a record seal, or both, and we can handle the petition process to help put the case in the past. This can give you peace of mind as you move forward.

### Is Grand Canyon Law Group transparent about fees and case outcomes?

Strong outcomes shouldn’t come with surprise bills. Before you hire us, you’ll know what your fee covers, what a realistic best-case, middle-case, and worst-case outcome looks like for your specific charge, whether your case may be resolved through negotiation or trial, and an approximate timeline.

### How often are these case results updated?

We publish new criminal defense case results every quarter, so you are seeing current work from our attorneys, not decades-old highlights.

## You deserve a law firm 100% dedicated to criminal defense.

Every case above started with a consultation with our team. Give us a call, tell us what you’re facing, and we’ll tell you, honestly, what a strong defense looks like for your situation.

**Schedule your free consultation with us today! Our team is available 24/7.**

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Source: https://www.grandcanyon.law/case-results/