Self-Defense Lawyer Tucson Protect Your Freedom & Future
- A focus on criminal defense
- 50+ years of legal experience
- Free consultations with an attorney
Dependable Representation
in Tucson, Arizona
Highly Recommended by Pima County
An Exclusive Focus on Defense
Those involved in criminal cases face serious penalties like hefty fines, lost rights, loss of employment, restricted access to their children, jail time, and prison. We only represent clients facing criminal charges so we can dedicate all our resources to securing positive outcomes for the accused. We call upon the expertise of investigators, medical professionals, accident reconstruction experts, and others to build a strong defense.
50+ Years of Experience
Our criminal defense lawyers are backed by over 50 years of combined experience. Over the years, we’ve seen it all—and defended our clients against it. We’ve earned a reputation as strong self-defense lawyers in Tucson, AZ, receiving numerous awards and being invited to speak at legal conferences to share our knowledge with other attorneys.
Free Consultations With an Attorney
We offer free initial consultations at our Tucson legal office so it costs you nothing to sit down with an attorney and find out if you have a case. When you choose St. Louis Huffman Law, you will always meet with one of our award-winning attorneys—we will never pass you off to a paralegal or assistant.
Put Strong Support on Your Side
Joseph St. Louis, Ryan Huffman, and Liz Farkas are a nationally recognized team of lawyers with a proven track record of results:
- Joe St. Louis has represented clients at over 200 jury trials.
- Ryan Huffman set an office record by winning three jury trials where clients were acquitted of all charges in less than a month.
- Liz Farkas has repeatedly convinced prosecutors to dismiss felony charges for our clients prior to their cases being taken to the grand jury.
Our criminal defense attorneys in Tucson are prepared to answer your legal questions, guide you through the criminal justice system, and secure the best possible outcome for your case. Let us get started building your case—contact us today.
Representation Worth Every Penny
At St. Louis Huffman Law, we charge a flat fee for representation. However, in certain instances we will charge a fee for pretrial work, going to trial, or other needs. We collect trust money upfront and bill against that for out-of-pocket expenses.
People throughout Tucson come to our criminal defense law firm because they trust us to secure the best possible outcome for their case. While we may be more expensive than other Tucson attorneys, our clients choose us because they know we’re going to do a good job. We’re not going to take the first plea, we know how to pick a jury that will understand your position, and we’re going to communicate your story to the jury in a way they understand.
These are the clear benefits of investing in our attorneys and why we’re on the shortlist for many people with resources when they get into serious trouble.
“I don’t run a huge law office where I have to fill a bunch of seats with lawyers. I pick and choose. I chose Ryan and Liz because of the quality of the work they do, and the quality of people they are. If there is a legal issue, they will find it.” - Joseph St. Louis
Protecting Yourself
Under Arizona Laws
The state of Arizona has a version of a “stand your ground” law, A.R.S. §13-404, Use of Force; a statute regarding justification, A.R.S. §13-411, Crime Prevention; and a statute regarding the use of deadly physical force when it is necessary to protect oneself, A.R.S. §13-405, Deadly Physical Force.
Under these statutes, individuals who believe they are about to be the victim of a serious crime may use threats, physical force, or deadly force in proportion to the threat to defend themselves against another person’s use or attempted use of unlawful physical force.
Felonies you can defend yourself from under Arizona law include:
- Arson of an occupied structure
- Burglary of a residential structure
- Armed burglary
- Kidnapping
- Murder or manslaughter
- Sexual conduct with a minor
- Rape
- Child molestation
- Armed robbery
- Aggravated assault
Physical force can’t be used in response to words alone. Having offensive language used against you or being called offensive names doesn’t allow you to use force against the person.
Protecting a Third Party
Under statute A.R.S. §13-406, Defense of Others, a person is justified in threatening or using force to protect a third person if the person would be justified in using physical force or deadly physical force to protect themselves. The third party does not have to actually be threatened, as long as a reasonable person would believe that they were being threatened and that immediate force was necessary to protect the third party.
Determining Self Defense
A defendant is entitled to a self-defense claim if the record contains the “slightest evidence” that they acted in self-defense. The state must then prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they didn’t act in self-defense. Some things that are considered when determining if a person has a viable self-defense claim include:
Crime
The other individual has to take some action that threatens you before you can use physical force against them. If they simply insulted you with words, physical force can’t be used.
Reasonable Defense
The test for determining whether a person was acting in self-defense is deciding what a reasonable person would have done under the circumstances. Would a reasonable person have used force or just walked away? How much time did the accused have to respond to the other individual’s use of force? The answer to these questions will determine whether the accused individual has a viable self-defense claim.
Withdrawing
Physical force can’t be used if the person withdraws from the encounter. No matter how threatening the individual may have been when it started, once the other individual withdraws from the encounter, you can no longer use physical force against them.
The “911 Test"
In the case of deadly physical force, the court will consider what our attorneys call the “911 test” to determine if your actions were reasonable. Could you have called 911 to resolve the situation rather than using deadly physical force? A defendant asserting self-defense in a deadly physical force case must be prepared to show that it was “kill or be killed” and that no other options were available.
