One statewide district
The District of Arizona is the federal trial court for the whole state. It is one of the districts covered in our federal courts overview. The statute that creates it, 28 U.S.C. § 82, is short: "Arizona constitutes one judicial district." It also says where the court sits: "Court shall be held at Flagstaff, Globe, Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, and Yuma." Congress added Flagstaff and Yuma to that list in 2019.
Federal trial courts hear federal crimes. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3231, they have "original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States." That is why a drug, firearms, fraud, immigration or sex offense case that is charged federally is heard here and not in a state court.
The district is large and unusual. The United States Attorney's Office says that because of its size and location the district faces unique geographical challenges, and it notes a 375 mile border with Mexico and a large Indian Country docket. If your case involves a border stop, a reservation or an agency investigation, tell your lawyer every detail from the first meeting.
Three divisions and their counties
The statute makes Arizona one district, but the court's local rules divide it further. Local Rule of Civil Procedure 77.1(a) says that "for convenience the District is divided into three divisions". Criminal cases follow that rule through LRCrim 18.1, which sends questions about court locations, hearing schedules and place of trial to it. The county lists are:
- Phoenix Division: Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz and Gila counties.
- Prescott Division: Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai counties.
- Tucson Division: Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee counties.
The Clerk's Office repeats the same lists, so two official sources agree. One detail surprises people: Yuma County belongs to the Phoenix Division even though the court has a courthouse in the city of Yuma.
Finding your courthouse
The place of trial rule says that, unless the court orders otherwise, a criminal case is tried in the division where it arose: Phoenix cases in Phoenix, Prescott cases in Prescott and Tucson cases in Tucson. There are written exceptions for tribal land. Cases arising on the part of the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Maricopa County and cases arising on the San Carlos Reservation are tried in Phoenix, and other cases arising on the Tohono O'odham Reservation are tried in Tucson, in each instance unless the court orders otherwise.
Two cautions apply. First, the division is not always the same as the building where your first hearing happens. A person arrested on a warrant is generally taken to the division where the warrant issued, and a person arrested on a new charge is first taken to the division where that arrest was made. Second, the court's locations page lists courthouses in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff. It does not list a Prescott or Globe courthouse, and the court does not say which courthouse hears Prescott Division criminal cases, so the papers in your case are the guide. The court does not publish a chart that settles it, so your charging papers, summons or release order name the building and room. Follow those papers.
Courthouses and the Clerk's Office
- Phoenix: Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse, 401 W. Washington St., Suite 130, SPC 1, Phoenix, AZ 85003-2118. Phone 602-322-7200. The Clerk's Office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the courthouse 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except court observed holidays.
- Tucson: Evo A. DeConcini U.S. Courthouse, 405 W. Congress Street, Suite 1500, Tucson, AZ 85701-5010. Phone 520-205-4200. The Clerk's Office keeps the same 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. hours, and the courthouse is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Flagstaff: AWD Building, 123 N. San Francisco Street, Suite 200, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Phone 928-774-2566. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Yuma: John M. Roll United States Courthouse, 98 West 1st Street, Yuma, AZ 85364. Phone 928-329-4766. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
At Flagstaff and Yuma, the court says: "Court filings are not accepted at this location. You may attend court hearings only." Paper filings for the Phoenix and Prescott divisions go to the Phoenix clerk's office, and paper filings for the Tucson Division go to Tucson. Lawyers file electronically. Case information is available through PACER, and customer service lines are 602-322-7200 in Phoenix and 520-205-4200 in Tucson.
Magistrate judges also keep official stations at Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff, Page, Kingman, Yuma, Phoenix and Tucson, and the court's menu lists Grand Canyon, Kingman and Page for petty offense matters only.
Who prosecutes cases here
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona brings the case. Its main office is in Phoenix at Two Renaissance Square, 40 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1800, Phoenix, AZ 85004-4449, phone (602) 514-7500. It also has offices in Tucson at 405 W. Congress Street, Suite 4800, (520) 620-7300, in Flagstaff at 123 N. San Francisco Street, Suite 410, (928) 556-0833, and in Yuma at 7102 E. 30th Street, Suite 101, (928) 314-6410.
The office has Criminal, Civil, Appellate and Administrative Divisions. Its Criminal Division describes several sections that tell you something about how the government sees a case:
- A National Security Section for terrorism, counter espionage, export violations and unlawful threats.
- Violent Crimes Sections for felonies in tribal communities, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, bank robberies, hate crimes and crimes against children.
- Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Sections for complex financial crimes, including investment fraud, health care fraud and securities fraud.
- Organized Crime, Drug Enforcement and Asset Forfeiture Sections for organized crime and complex drug trafficking.
- Southwest Border Sections for immigration cases, alien smuggling and border drug crimes.
If your charge falls in one of those areas, our pages on drug charges, drug importation, health care fraud and firearms charges explain the offenses. The office also runs a victim witness line at (800) 800-2570.
Appointed counsel: the Federal Public Defender and the CJA panel
If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can ask the court to appoint one. The Federal Public Defender's Office exists to enforce the right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment and the Criminal Justice Act for people who cannot afford retained counsel. Its offices are:
- Flagstaff: 123 North San Francisco, Suite 204, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, 928-213-1942.
- Phoenix Trial Unit: 250 North 7th Avenue, Suite 600, Phoenix, AZ 85007, 602-382-2700.
- A second Phoenix unit: 850 West Adams Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85007, 602-382-2816.
- Tucson: 407 West Congress, Suite 501, Tucson, AZ 85701, 520-879-7500.
- Yuma: 2285 S. 4th Ave. Suite 2E, Yuma, AZ 85364, 928-314-1780.
When the Federal Public Defender's Office has a conflict of interest, the court generally appoints a lawyer from the Criminal Justice Act panel, and that representation is free for defendants who qualify. The court decides whether you qualify, so bring information about your income and expenses.
Pretrial services and probation
The district has its own Pretrial Services Office under local rule. After an arrest, a pretrial services officer does a prerelease interview as soon as practicable, gathering information through interviews and record checks. Both lawyers receive the resulting report, which the judge uses at the release hearing. If you are released, pretrial supervision usually lasts 6 to 12 months, and sometimes longer depending on the case.
The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office has offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff. It returns near the end of a case: after a conviction by trial or plea, the court orders that you not leave the District of Arizona without authorization until a probation officer has interviewed you. The officer then prepares the presentence report, which goes to your lawyer and the prosecutor, who can object through a formal process. Our pages on the presentence report and federal sentencing cover that stage.
The first days of a case
After an arrest, you are taken to an initial appearance before a magistrate judge, where you learn the charge and the question of counsel is addressed. Magistrate judges take bonds and conduct detention hearings under the local rules. The release question turns on 18 U.S.C. § 3142, and a judge orders detention before trial only if the judge finds that "no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of any other person and the community". Our detention hearing page explains how these hearings are argued. Under LRCrim 46.3, a bond taken by a magistrate judge is for appearance in the division where the case arose.
Felony charges generally come through a grand jury. The local rules note a grand jury return in Phoenix and a preliminary hearing and detention hearing in Tucson, after which the clerk randomly refers the case to a magistrate judge. Our pages on the grand jury and indictment describe those steps. Arraignment follows, where you enter a plea, and the court posts a Tucson arraignments calendar. Class A misdemeanors in Flagstaff and Yuma go directly to the magistrate judges sitting there.
Local criminal rules that change what you do
The Local Rules of Criminal Procedure are cited as LRCrim, and the current set is the 2025 to 2026 edition. Several rules matter to a defendant:
- LRCrim 12.2: every motion in a criminal case other than a petty offense must state the excludable delay under the Speedy Trial Act, which affects your trial clock.
- LRCrim 12.3: if you are not in custody, a motion or stipulation to extend the trial date must carry the statement "Defendant Not In Custody".
- LRCrim 16.1: the government must give written notice of confessions, admissions or statements it intends to use at trial, and your lawyer can file objections and ask for a hearing.
- LRCrim 16.2: if the court finds a case complex, a status conference is held within twenty-one days to set a schedule for discovery, motions and other pretrial issues.
- LRCrim 16.3: expert disclosures are due no later than 45 days before the final pretrial conference, and rebuttal experts no later than 14 days before it, unless the court orders otherwise.
- LRCrim 5.1(g): changes of plea are referred to a magistrate judge if the defendant and government consent in writing.
- LRCrim 49.4: documents may be filed under seal in non sealed criminal cases only by court order, though a motion asking leave to seal is filed under seal automatically.
The local rules do not set a general deadline for plea agreements or sentencing memoranda, so those dates come from the judge's orders. Review plea terms carefully, because a mandatory minimum can turn on a charge decision. Cases are assigned to district judges by random selection within each division, and a new case against someone already on probation or supervised release generally goes to the judge handling the earlier case.
Appeals go to the Ninth Circuit
Appeals from the District of Arizona go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The statute sends appeals "From a district court of the United States to the court of appeals for the circuit embracing the district;" and the circuit table lists Arizona with the Ninth Circuit. Under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b)(1)(A), a defendant's notice of appeal must be filed in the district court within 14 days after the later of the entry of the judgment or order being appealed, or the filing of the government's notice of appeal. That is short, so plan for appeal while the trial court case is still open. Our federal appeals page covers the process.
A note on penalties
Penalty figures on this site are statutory maximums or guideline ranges. They are not predictions. Drug quantity, loss amount, criminal history and the judge's view of the conduct all affect what actually happens in a case.
Talking to a lawyer about a case in this court
Before a first conversation, gather what you have. Bring the charging papers, summons or release order, since they name the division and courthouse. Bring any target letter or subpoena, and a list of the agents and agencies you have dealt with. Write down your arrest or search timeline while it is fresh. Collect proof of your residence, job, family ties and finances, which matter for release and for appointed counsel questions. Do not discuss the facts with anyone but your lawyer, and do not agree to an interview or proffer session before getting advice. If you are under investigation and not yet charged, our pages on federal investigations and search warrants may help. When you are ready to talk through your situation, request a consultation.
Federal representation outside California is subject to applicable court admission requirements. Pro hac vice admission and association with local counsel may be required.