Forgery Charges

Forgery Criminal Defense Attorney AZ

Forgery Charges in Arizona

The Arizona crime of Forgery requires proof that:

  1. You falsely made, completed or altered and instrument; and
  2. You did with the intent to defraud.

It does not matter if a forged item was actually accepted by another party or not. The instrument covers a wide range of items including but not limited to currency, checks, and traffic citations. One of the most important elements that are considered which constitute the act of forgery is “the intent to defraud.”

Forgery Laws in Arizona

In Arizona a person may be found guilty of committing forgery in violation of A.R.S. 13-2002 if they create, complete, or possess, offer, or present information that contains false information, false documents, or instruments with the intent to defraud.

The greater the number of forged documents found in a person’s possession, the greater the perception that the intent to defraud exists. The statutory number of forged documents instruments that give rise the inference of fraud of forged documents in a person’s possession is five.

Charges of forgery are categorized as a Class 4 felony., which expose a person to prison terms of 1.5 to 3.75 in prison, for non-dangerous forgery offenses.

Forgery Punishments and Penalties in Arizona

Charges of forgery are categorized as a Class 4 felony., which expose a person to prison terms of 1.5 minimum to 3.75 maximum in prison, for non-dangerous forgery offenses.

Penalties for conviction of forgery charges in Arizona include jail, restitution, community service, and supervised probation. The judge will consider multiple sentencing factors including but not limited to prior criminal history, circumstances surrounding the incident, to determine the sentencing within the statutory range.

Forgery Defense Attorney

Forgery is a serious charge in Arizona. If you are being questioned, investigated or have active criminal charges for forgery, you should contact the Law Office of James Novak to discuss your defense options. The penalties could be harsh and include a permanent felony on your record could affect you years down the road. James Novak, experienced forgery defense attorney will personally provide you with a FREE consultation. Call (480) 413-1499 today to enable James Novak to begin proactively working on your case to build and mount an effective defense on your behalf.