The Major Crimes Bureau prosecutes felony offenses involving violent crimes such as first degree murder (including all death penalty cases) and other homicides, aggravated assaults involving serious physical injuries and the use of deadly weapons and dangerous instruments, drive-by shootings, gang-related crimes, serious domestic-violence related felony offenses such as aggravated assaults with strangulation, and sexual crimes such as sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor, child molestation, sexual exploitation (child pornography), and child sex trafficking.

Major Crimes Bureau attorneys are skilled prosecutors with at least 5 years of felony-level prosecuting experience and extensive specialized training.  Major Crimes Bureau attorneys meet frequently with the County Attorney, Chief Deputy, and other senior prosecutors as part of incident review panels to evaluate homicides and other complex cases on issues such as charging decisions, death penalty notice filings, plea agreements, and circumstances surrounding officer-involved shootings.  The Major Crimes Bureau works with all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Pinal County.

The Appellate Process

All convicted criminal defendants are constitutionally entitled to appellate review.  Defendants who take their cases to trial are entitled to a direct appeal to the Court of Appeals.  Defendants who enter into plea agreements, and defendants that have taken a direct appeal, are entitled to appellate review at the Superior Court level through a Petition for Post-Conviction Relief.  This is the mechanism for adjudicating claims of ineffectiveness of trial counsel as well as other claims.  If a defendant is not satisfied with the Superior Court ruling on a Petition, they can seek further review in the Court of Appeals by filing a Petition for Review.  The appellate section of this bureau is responsible for responding to Petitions for Post-Conviction Relief and Petitions for Review.  The section also handles special actions that may arise in an ongoing criminal case or that may become necessary after the conclusion of a criminal case.