“Knapp” Counsel
Knapp Counsel is based on an Arizona Supreme Court case which held that ‘a Defendant has the right to have a Private Attorney associate with the Public Defender’s Office in defense of their case.’Realistically, what this means is that a Private Defense Lawyer may assist a Public Defender, in a form of joint representation, for the betterment of a Defendant’s case.This is a fantastic opportunity for Defendants charged with more serious offenses to have access to not only the personnel and resources of the Public Defender’s Office, but the experience and knowledge of a Private Defense Lawyer.“Knapp” Counsel is available to anyone charged with any sort of Felony or Misdemeanor offense, but is most often seen with Felony cases, where the fees associated with solely being representing by Private Counsel can reach the thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The AZ DUI Team offers Knapp Counsel Representation on the following offenses:
- Aggravated DUI – License – Arizona Revised Statute §28-1383(A)(1)
- Aggravated DUI – 3rd in Time – Arizona Revised Statute §28-1383(A)(2)
- Aggravated DUI – Child Under the Age of 15 – Arizona Revised Statute §28-1383(A)(3)
- Aggravated DUI – Ignition Interlock Device – Arizona Revised Statute §28-1383(A)(4)
- Hit & Run (AKA Leaving the Scene) – Arizona Revised Statute §28-661 & §28-663
- Vehicular Endangerment– Arizona Revised Statute §13-1201
- Vehicular Aggravated Assault– Arizona Revised Statute §13-1204
- Vehicular Manslaughter– Arizona Revised Statute §13-1103
- Vehicular 2nd Degree Murder– Arizona Revised Statute §13-1104
- Felony Flight– Arizona Revised Statute §28-622.01
Other than the obvious benefits of having a Private Defense Attorney on your side for about half the cost, people in these serious situations have two legal minds cooperating for their benefit, along with the advantages of having government resources available to aid in their defense.
This type of association is not well known by the public, and Public Defender’s will not often mention this type of representation to their clients, but those who discover its advantages can definitely reap the benefits.
The last three cases where a member of the AZ DUI Team has “Knapped On” as Knapp Counsel resulted in unbelievable benefits for the Defendant:
State v Cooper – Prior to Knapp Counsel, Mr. Cooper was being represented by a Court-appointed attorney who was pushing a plea agreement, would not return calls, and was ready to go to trial, unprepared, if Mr. Cooper would not just plea Guilty… by the way, there was no benefit to taking the plea agreement being pushed by the Court-appointed attorney. After hiring an Attorney from the AZ DUI Team as Knapp Counsel, the AZ DUI Team Lawyer, with permission of the Court-appointed attorney, filed a Motion to Suppress all evidence due to an illegal stop, and argued that motion before the court. The judge sided with the AZ DUI Team Attorney’s argument, resulting in the suppression of all evidence, and ultimately, the case being dismissed. Where the Court-appointed attorney was pushing for a plea agreement to a Felony, an AZ DUI Team Attorney “Knapped On” the case, and successfully fought for Mr. Cooper to walk out of that court a free man.
State v Guffin – Prior to Knapp Counsel, Mr. Guffin was facing decades in prison on Aggravated Assault charges. The Public Defender’s office negotiated a plea agreement for 2.5 years. Mr. Guffin’s family hired an AZ DUI Team Lawyer to “Knapp On” the case. With permission of the Public Defender, the AZ DUI Team Lawyer wrote an incredibly in-depth motion, which explained to the court why the case must be dismissed. Instead of facing the Class 3 Dangerous Felony charges, with the requirement of years in prison, the AZ DUI Team Attorney – because of the motion that was filed – was able to negotiate a plea agreement to a Class 1 Misdemeanor, with no days in jail.
State v Gomez – Prior to Knapp Counsel, Ms. Gomez was facing decades in prison on two Class 2 Dangerous Felony charges. The plea agreement with the Public Defender was for more than a decade in prison. With the help of her family, Ms. Gomez hired an AZ DUI Team Attorney to “Knapp On” the case. With the Public Defender’s permission, the AZ DUI Team Lawyer was allowed to file motions, and negotiate a plea agreement for months, instead of more than a decade in prison.
Each case is different, and past performance is not an assurance of future success, but the old adage, “Two Heads are Better than One,” holds especially true when you are charged with an Aggravated DUI or Felony Vehicular Offense, and one of those ‘heads’ is an AZ DUI Team Lawyer.
If you or someone you love is charged with an Aggravated DUI or Felony Vehicular Offense, Call 602-900-0LAW or 602-900-0529 and ask about “Knapp Counsel Representation.”
