Vehicular crimes are serious matters.  When the prosecutors see a fatal traffic accident caused by an intoxicated driver, they often file second degree murder charges against the driver.  That means prison – up to twenty years of it.  Even if there are no fatalities, Arizona law still allows for the filing of felony aggravated assault charges, and that means prison for the driver, too.   At Helms & Denea, we utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to defend our clients against these cases.   We consult with accident reconstructionists, toxicologists and DUI experts to go over every aspect of the state’s case, and put the prosecution to its proof.   We combine that with a thorough investigation of the facts, and an aggressive motion to practice to get results for our clients.

In 2002, our 19 year-old client drove his high-powered sports car over 100 miles per hour and collided with another vehicle.  The other driver was killed.  Due to his alcohol consumption and recent marijuana use, the state filed second- degree murder charges against our client, and he was facing twenty years in prison. We conducted an extensive legal and factual investigation, and retained an accident reconstructionist and a toxicologist to examine and rebut the state’s scientific evidence. After a five-day trial, the jury returned a verdict of voluntary manslaughter, a lesser offense with a lesser penalty.   After aggressive advocacy during trial and sentencing, our client received a sentence that was only half of what he faced when the charges were filed.