LAW FIRM PROFILE - DUI AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS


The Gillespie Law Firm, P.C. is “AV”® rated; the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. In addition, the firm is listed in the National Bar Register of "Preeminent Lawyers", Criminal Trial Section.

The firm's primary focus is the defense of individuals accused of criminal conduct. Mr. Gillespie's extensive experience as a successful criminal defense attorney and former Deputy County Prosecutor has resulted in years of success in handling difficult DUI/criminal cases. In mid 2007, attorney Karyn Klausner joined the firm, bringing a different perspective to the practice having completed eleven (11) years on the bench as a Phoenix Municipal Court Judge. The firms success stems directly from the attorney's unique expertise developed over years of practicing, prosecuting, and or presiding over DUI and criminal cases. The firm prides itself on the methodical attention paid to every detail of each clients pretrial investigation in the preparation of his or her case. The firm's commitment to excellence through thoroughly investigated, carefully prepared and aggressively litigated cases drives our attitude and belief there are very few hopeless cases.

Although this office represent clients from all walks of life, our success has led to the representation of many local professionals including attorneys, doctors, federal agents, police officers, professional athletes and executives of Fortune 500 companies and/or members of their families. Other individuals seeking our services for prompt solutions to their legal problems have included public officials, private business owners, commercial drivers, commercial passenger airline pilots and even members of the clergy. We are frequently consulted by other lawyers to help win cases, and regularly speak at continuing legal education seminars attended by other lawyers and legal professionals.


ARIZONA DUI / CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Our firm routinely handles all aspects of DUI and criminal litigation including, but not limited to, pre-trial investigations, suppression and evidentiary hearings, plea negotiations, trials, appeals, Rule 32 post-conviction petitions and forfeitures. Moreover, our office provides aggressive representation in all Department of Motor Vehicle hearings, criminal traffic, misdemeanor and felony matters including, but not limited to:

• Appeals
• DUI/DWI
• Extreme DWI
• Felony DUI
• Traffic Violations
• Manslaughter
• Vehicular Homicide

• Criminal Damage
• White Collar Crimes
• Theft/Fraud
• Domestic Violence
• Murder
• Assault
• Sex Crimes

• Drug Offenses
• Arson
• Probation Violations
• Juvenile Hearings
• Shoplifting
• Prostitution
• Computer Crimes

JURISDICTIONS
We regularly appear in Arizona's Appellate Courts, the Maricopa and Pinal County Superior Courts, and Municipal and Justice Courts in the following jurisdictions:

• Apache Junction, AZ
• Avondale, AZ
• Buckeye, AZ
• Casa Grande, AZ
• Carefree, AZ
• Cavecreek, AZ
• Chandler, AZ
• Fountain Hills, AZ
• Gilbert, AZ
• Glendale, AZ
• Goodyear, AZ
• Guadalupe, AZ
• Maryvale, AZ
• Mesa, AZ

• Paradise Valley, AZ
• Peoria, AZ
• Phoenix, AZ
• Scottsdale, AZ
• Surprise, AZ
• Tempe, AZ
• Tolleson, AZ

ATTORNEY PROFILE
Craig C. Gillespie
is a former Deputy County Attorney and Prosecutor for the City of Phoenix and the City of Chandler. Mr. Gillespie was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1960. He graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies from Arizona State University, and in 1988 with a Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University. Mr. Gillespie is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and the Maricopa County Bar Association. Mr. Gillespie is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and the Arizona Supreme Court.

As a former prosecutor of vehicular crimes, DUI/DWI and other serious offenses, Mr. Gillespie gained invaluable experience as a criminal trial attorney and litigator. In excess of 90% of the cases he was responsible for trying to juries resulted in convictions. Mr. Gillespie now has trial experience in hundreds of cases and has successfully handled well over one thousand criminal cases. In addition, the City of Phoenix Law Department awarded Mr. Gillespie the "Barrister Award" for Outstanding Trial Advocacy Skills, and he has been quoted by the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Daily Star and the Associated Press. Mr. Gillespie has also distinguished himself by successfully arguing before Arizona's highest appellate court, the Supreme Court of Arizona.

Karyn Klausner an attorney, and former Phoenix Municipal Court Judge, was admitted to practice in Arizona in October, 1987 after receiving her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law in August of the same year. Upon becoming licensed at both the State and Federal levels, Ms. Klausner practiced predominately in criminal defense, with an emphasis on D.U.I. offenses. Ms. Klausner worked as a solo practitioner for several years and in 1991 joined Toles & Associates, a premier criminal defense firm.

In 1995, Ms. Klausner was appointed to serve as a full time judge pro tem with the City of Chandler, where she remained until her appointment as a full time judge with the City of Phoenix Municipal Court. While sitting as a municipal court judge, Ms. Klausner presided over hundreds of criminal cases including D.U.I.'s, assaults, thefts, zoning violations, shoplifting offenses and a multitude of other types of criminal traffic and non-traffic cases. She presided over order of protection and injunction against harassment hearings, as well as issuing thousands of these orders. Ms. Klausner remained on the bench for over eleven years, until joining The Gillespie Law Firm, P.C. Ms. Klausner is married to the Hon. Michael K. Carroll, a retired Phoenix Municipal Court judge. She has a thirteen year old daughter.

Dave Roscoe, an attorney, was born in Oxford England, in 1978, and immigrated to the United States in 1983. He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, and in 2005 with a Juris Doctor from Arizona State University College of Law. Mr. Roscoe is a member of the State Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Roscoe was hired as a law clerk by the Gillespie Law Firm while in law school after he scored the first perfect score in his Criminal Law class in over four years. During his time as a clerk, Mr. Roscoe gained invaluable experience within the criminal law field, performing a variety of research and writing assignments. After passing the Arizona State Bar Exam, Mr. Roscoe was hired by The Gillespie Law Firm, P.C. as an associate to the firm.



FIRM RESOURCES
  The Gillespie Law Firm, P.C. has compiled an extensive law library to remain on the cutting edge of legal research and changing legal trends in the area of criminal law and winning courtroom strategies. Some of the materials in our library include:

ABA Standards for Criminal Justice, Second Edition Human Factors in Highway Traffic Safety Research
Arizona's Appellate Handbook, Vols. 1-3 Individual Identification and the Law Enforcement Officer
Arizona Courtroom Criminal Evidence Investigation & Prosecution of DWI & Vehicular Homicide
Arizona Digest, 2nd Edition, Vols. 1-31 Intoxication Test Evidence – Is it Admissible
Arizona DUI Judging the Jury
Arizona DUI Trialbook Jury Persuasion
Arizona Motor Vehicle Accident Deskbook Law of Sentencing
Arizona Reports, Bound Volumes 1-200 Lawyers Guide to Medical Proof, Vols. 1-3
Arizona Revised Statutes Annotated, Vols. 1-17B Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction & Litigation, Second Edition
Arizona Trial Handbook Ninth Circuit Criminal Law Reporter
Basic Collision Analysis and Scene Documentation, Second Edition Opening Statements/Closing Arguments
Clark of Marshall Crimes Perkins on Criminal Law
Compendium of Drug Therapy Police Misconduct
Complete Guide to Drugs (Prescription and Nonprescription) Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation
Courtroom Criminal Evidence Practical Homicide Investigation, Third Edition
Crime & Human Nature Pretrial Motions in Criminal Prosecutions
Criminal Confessions and Admissions, Vols. 1-3 Preparing a case for Trial in Federal Court
Criminal Law of Arizona Principles and Practice of Criminalistics
Criminal Law of Arizona, Second Edition, Vol. 1 & 2 Prosecution & Defense of Sex Crimes
Criminal Law Defenses, Vols. 1 & 2 Prosecutorial Misconduct, 2nd Edition
Criminal Procedure Checklists Vols. 1 & 2 Psychiatry in the Everyday Practice of Law, 2nd Edition
Criminal Procedure Vols. 1-4 Readings in Trial Advocacy and the Social Sciences, Opening Statement, Closing Argument, and Persuasion in Trial Advocacy
Criminal Practice Handbook Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Second Edition
Cross-Examination Science and Techniques Rights of Juveniles
Defending Drinking Drivers, Vols. 1 & 2 Search Warrant Law Desk Book
Defending a Federal Criminal Case Sexual Assault Trials 1 & 2
Defense of Narcotic Cases, Vols.1 & 2 Substantive Criminal Law, Vols. 1 & 2
Defense of Drunk Driving Cases, Vols. 1-4 Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation Sixth Edition
Defense of Speeding, Reckless Driving and Vehicular Homicide, Vols. 1-2 The Bill of Rights
Drunk Driving: The Trial Sourcebook The Criminal Law Reporter BNA
Drunk Driving Defense, Fifth Edition The Criminal Lawyer's Guide to Immigration Law- Questions and Answers
Drinking/Driving Litigation Criminal and Civil 2000-2001 Edition The "How to Win" Trial Manual
Effective Closing Argument The Law of Juries
Evidence, Second Edition The Lost Art of Cross-Examination
Evidence, Second Edition The Lost Art- an Advocate's Guide to Effective Closing Argument
Examination of Medical Experts The Prosecution & Defense of Sex Crimes
Eyewitness Testimony The Winning Brief
Exculpatory Evidence 2nd Edition Traffic Accident Investigator's Manual
Eyewitness Reliability Trial Error and Misconduct
Eyewitness Identification Trial Evidence Foundations
False Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Understanding the Arizona Constitution
Federal Criminal Trials Vehicle Traffic Law
Federal Criminal Code and Rules Vehicle Search Law Desk book
Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure, Vols. 1 & 2 Vehicular Accident Investigation and Reconstruction
Federal Sentencing Guidelines Handbook West's Federal Sentencing Guidelines Digest 1999
Forensic Evidence Science and the Criminal Law Wharton's Criminal Procedure, 12 Edition
Forensic Pathology in Criminal Cases What Makes Juries Listen Today?
Handbook of Cross Examination Winning Courtroom Strategies
Hidden Evidence Young's Federal Rules of Evidence

SELECTING THE RIGHT LAWYER
A criminal investigation by a federal, state or local law enforcement agency will be an experience unlike any other you have ever faced. Unfortunately, some individuals in law enforcement are over-zealous and even self-righteous. On occasion, police officers and prosecutors are capable of losing track of notions of fair play and objectivity in their drive to seek convictions. Often, law enforcement officers jump to conclusions before reasonable alternatives have been properly investigated, and the "investigation" then becomes a search only for evidence which may support their opinion you are guilty. In many cases, evidence inconsistent with the client’s guilt is ignored, abandoned, or glossed over.

The experienced criminal defense attorney thinks in terms of attacking the prosecution’s case, focusing on what the other side is required to prove so that this 'proof' can be rebutted, countered and picked apart, piece by piece. The prosecution must prove its case against the client "beyond a reasonable doubt," a standard of proof much higher than that applied in civil cases.

The job of the criminal defense attorney includes thorough legal research and factual investigation. In some cases, the attack on the state’s case will include the preparation of pretrial motions to suppress statements or evidence. Often evidence is scientifically unreliable or illegally seized from one’s person, office, home, vehicle, or computer. The lawyer’s experience and knowledge of the complex and ever changing rules and case law relating to criminal law, procedure, and evidence are the tools used to seize upon the subtle factual nuances of the particular case which will permit the construction of a winning defense.

Although we prepare each case from the beginning as if a jury trial is inevitable, in many cases, a case is won through successful plea negotiations. Following a thorough factual investigation, we are often able to convince the prosecution that the weaknesses in its case justifies a compromise on either the nature of the offense charged or its punishment. That is, identifying problems with the State’s case creates bargaining power. The prosecutor must also understand the defense attorney knows how to try a case, and, in fact, is very competent in trial. If the prosecutor wants to avoid the time and expense of a jury trial, and the risk of losing the case, a favorable plea agreement with a substantial up-side to the defendant will have to be offered.

The criminal courtroom is almost always a very intimidating environment. When you have been targeted by the government, you need a criminal defense lawyer who can protect you from the processes at work in the criminal justice arena. Retaining an experienced and skilled criminal defense attorney is the only way to ensure that your individual and constitutional rights will be protected in the unfamiliar world of judges, prosecutors, indictments, search warrants, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and the Bill of Rights.


An experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can:


negotiate plea "deals" with prosecutors, often arranging for dismissal, diversions, reduced charges, and lesser sentencing;

  help clients cope with their emotions and feelings of embarrassment, uncertainty, anxiety, and fear that a criminal investigation or charges tend to produce in many individuals;
  provide clients with an objective perspective on their situation and what is likely to happen should their case proceed to trial. This perspective is vital for defendants trying to decide whether or not to accept a prosecutor's offered "plea agreement;"
  apply the applicable law, legal precedent, and rules that people representing themselves or inexperienced attorneys may find difficult to locate on their own. Many criminal law precedents are set forth in court interpretations of federal and state constitutions. For example, understanding and challenging what may constitute “reasonable suspicion” to stop a vehicle or "probable cause for arrest” requires familiarity with particular legal issues as set forth in state and federal appellate court opinions, statutory law, and rules of procedure;
  help you navigate the judicial system through years of practical experience. A seasoned criminal practitioner will be familiar with local court customs and procedures that are not written down anywhere. For example, a knowledgeable and experienced defense attorney may know which prosecutor or supervisor has the authority to help settle a case; what kinds of arguments are likely to appeal to a particular prosecutor, and what a certain judge may be inclined to do based upon past experience;
understand the possible "hidden costs" of pleading guilty;
gather information from prosecution witnesses, who often fear people accused of crimes and are, therefore, reluctant to speak to people representing themselves;
hire and manage investigators, expert witnesses, psychologists and other "defense team" members; and
formulate sentencing programs tailored to a client's particular needs, often helping defendants address a specific problem and/or avoid a prison or jail sentence;
 


The Gillespie Law Firm, P.C. is a leading Phoenix, Arizona DUI and criminal defense law firm dedicated to the aggressive representation of clients involving all aspects of vehicular crimes and criminal litigation. We handle cases in Federal, State, Municipal, Juvenile, and Appellate Courts throughout the greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area and all of Arizona.

 
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