Phoenix Forgery Attorney

If you or a loved one has been charged with forgery, our attorneys are here to help you. Forgery in the state of Arizona is considered a felony and it is a very serious offense. Fortunately, it is categorized as a non-dangerous crime and because of this, prosecutors have quite a bit more flexibility when it comes to negotiating plea agreements.

With that being said, if the accused has prior felony convictions, forgery is the type of charge that can send someone to prison for several years.

In order for an individual to be convicted of forgery, the prosecutor must prove two things to the jury. First they must establish that the defendant or the accused was either in possession of, or made a forged “instrument.”

In other words an ‘instrument’ is just a fancy term for a document, form or identification. In order to be charged with forgery an individual has to either make the “instrument” or be in possession of it. But, that element by itself is not enough. That individual must also have the intent to defraud another person. For example, if an individual scribbles out a fake IOU to another person for a large amount of money, it is not necessarily a crime if it is done a joke and there was never any intent to defraud the other person. Prosecutors must prove that the creation or alteration of the “instrument” was done to defraud another individual.

This crime is classified as a class 4 felony and it carries with it a maximum penalty of almost four years in prison for the first offense. Here at Alcock and Associates our team has had the honor of representing and winning many forgery cases throughout the years in the state of Arizona. We comprehend what it takes to win a forgery case and know how to best present your defense in order to obtain the best result for you. When you hire our attorneys here at Alcock and Associates you can have peace of mind knowing we know exactly how to get started on defending your case.