Zachary Divelbiss

Future First Criminal Law is a law firm located in Phoenix, AZ and focuses only on DUI and criminal cases in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Goodyear, Surprise and Glendale. At Future First Criminal Law, the lawyers typically have anywhere from 50-70 cases at a time, which means a lot of attention to their cases and clients.

All clients will receive a group text message with the entire legal team so updates, questions and answers are all provided in the quickest time possible. All major case updates are done by the lawyer recording videos on their computer screens so they can highlight certain points of the police reports, body cameras, 911 call, etc. and the recordings are provided to the clients so you can rewatch them as needed. Lawyers will then attend court with their clients once the case is ready to be solved.

Ideal clients for Future First Criminal Law are first time offenders who care about their future and typically have something major to lose such as jobs, residency, driver’s license, child custody, financial instability, reputation, etc.

Future First Criminal Law accepts credit cards and offers flexible financing through Affirm (the same company Amazon uses for payment plans).

Future First Criminal Law handles a wide variety of cases including: DUI, criminal speeding, racing, reckless driving, leaving scene of accident, shoplifting, theft, trespassing, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, domestic violence, felony DUI, drug possession, drug sale, unlawful flight, theft & criminal damage, prohibited possession of a weapon, leaving scene of accident, aggravated assault, fraud and prefile cases.

Arizona Summit Law School

J.D. (2016) | Legal Studies

2014 - 2016

Honors: Donald E. Lively Mission Pillar Award Cum Laude Castro and Merit Scholarship Dean's Award 2014-2016 Top 10% Graduation

Activities: Law Review Moot Court

Arizona State University

B.S. (2014) | Justice Studies

2010 - 2014

Honors: Cum Laude Provost Scholarship

Attorney

Future First Criminal Law

2018 - Current

• Advocate and educate criminal defendants through all processes of felony and misdemeanor criminal offenses throughout Maricopa County. At Future First Criminal Law We Help Keep Good People From Going to Jail! We Advocate and Educate Criminal Defendants Through All Processes of Felony and Misdemeanor Criminal Offenses Throughout Maricopa County.

Attorney

Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite

2017 - 2018

• Reviewed and analyzed documents for discovery in a large, complex intellectual property and breach of contract case using Relativity platform. • Analyzed complex legal documents including emails, contracts, spreadsheets and other contract documents. • Determined which issues applied to each document and coded the documents accordingly. • Reviewed and determined if the document was responsive to the issues in the case and determined if any type of attorney-client privilege applied. • Performed quality control on other reviewers work to ensure the client was receiving a top quality product.

Law Clerk/Extern

Maricopa County Public Defender's Office

2016 - 2017

• Received projects from a team of over twelve attorneys while working hand-in-hand with paralegals, investigators, and secretaries. • Successful Motions: Rule 20 – Charge Dismissed, Reaffirmation Finding of Incompetency – Case Dismissed, Severance of Charges – Granted, and Necessarily-Included Lesser Offense – Granted in Jury Instruction. • Compiled thorough pre-litigation research memorandums for matters involving double jeopardy, standing, discovery and counsel disqualifications. • Performed expedited projects for attorneys during trial on matters involving judicial discretion and prosecutorial misconduct. • Completed extensive post-litigation research memorandums for matters involving sentencing, restitution, and expungement laws. • Research, memo writing, courtroom observation, various criminal pre-trial and trial proceedings. • Completed over 200 hours of legal research and writing while working in close contact with supervising attorney. • Courtroom Duties: Assist with Voir Dire, Attend Conferences, Assist with Clients at Health Court Probation Violations, and Observe Complete Trial. • Motions: Franks and Pre-Indictment Delay. • Memorandums: Pre-Indictment Delay, Sexual Misconduct - Position of Trust as Teaching Assistant, Possession of Marijuana - Fresh vs. Burnt, and Misidentification. • Attend: Psychiatric Review Board Hearing and Restoration of Rights Volunteer.

Law Clerk

Lorona Mead, PLC

2016 - 2016

• Gained general and advanced civil litigation experience in over 30 separate cases. • Drafted complaints, answers, amended complaints, 26.1, interrogatories, request for production, attorney fees, wrongful termination, negotiation letters, status reports, scheduling orders, failure to prosecute, and specific research memos. • Completed over 400 hours of research, writing, and client interaction.

Law Extern

Cavanagh Law Firm

2016 - 2016

• Researched complex insurance statutes and cases involving insurers obligation to provide replacement parts of “like kind and quality” and “diminution of value.” • Created and compiled a 36-page report including statutory and case law for all 50 states to be included in insurance treatise. • Completed over 200 hours of legal research and writing.

Law Extern

Harla Davison Law Firm

2015 - 2015

• Experience drafting motions to suppress, remand grand jury and sentencing memos. • Observational experience with change of plea, continuances, initial pre-trial conferences, discovery requests, oral arguments, witness interviews. • Completed over 350 hours of overall experience with Rule 38(d) Limited Practice Certification.

Rewrite Your Story: Seal Your Record

Future First Criminal Law

October 3, 2024

Preliminary Hearings - 6 Steps Explained

Future First Criminal Law

October 1, 2024

Your Right To A Speedy Trial

Future First Criminal Law

September 29, 2024

Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyers

Future First Criminal Law

September 2, 2024

Police Access: Can Law Enforcement Enter My Property in Arizona?

Future First Criminal Law

August 2, 2024

Arizona State University Criminal Justice Presentation, ASU Downtown

November 2, 2021

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Watch: Presentation: Live presentation to ASU criminology students about the justice system and the complexities of short term criminal justice vs. long term unforeseen consequences. Hosted by: Claudine DeCarolis, Ed.D. Lecturer/Honors Faculty Alpha Phi Sigma Advisor Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Arizona State University

Arizona State University Alpha Phi Sigma Presentation, ASU Downtown

October 18, 2021

Alpha Phi Sigma

Presentation: To Alpha Phi Sigma sorority presentation in relation to the criminal justice system and how the consequences of criminal charges can damage future potential unexpectedly and how to avoid the long-term consequences of criminal cases.

Scottsdale Community College - Criminal Justice & Justice Studies, Virtual

November 2, 2020

Scottsdale Community College

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0f01XvvC_k&t=343s Presentation: Legal and Ethic Perspective from a Criminal Defense Lawyer Assignment: 1. In one or more paragraph/s explain what you would do if you were the defense attorney in this case - what you would do and why? 2. In one or more paragraph/s explain what the ethical issues are in this particular case, as it relates to the defense attorney. Use words and terms you have learned from reading your textbook and studies.

Certified Notary Public - State of Arizona

Arizona Secretary of State

2020

Client Champion Award

Martindale-Hubbard

2024

Client Champions are an elite group of attorneys who have received exceptional reviews from the people that know them best, their clients. The confidential client review process is managed and monitored by the world's most trusted legal resource, Martindale-Hubbell.

Client Champion Award

Martindale-Hubbell

2023

Client Champions are an elite group of attorneys who have received exceptional reviews from the people that know them best, their clients. The confidential client review process is managed and monitored by the world's most trusted legal resource, Martindale-Hubbell.

112th Fastest Growing Law Firm 2023

Law Firm 500

2023

Law Firm 500 ranks the top firms in the nation based on review growth over a three year period. Rankings are trusted because this award is based on actual tax returns and cannot be paid for.

Top Attorney DUI & Criminal 2023

Avvo

2023

Avvo awards the years top lawyers to proudly recognize thier distinguished accomplishments provided each year.

Best Criminal Defense Attorney 2023

Expertise

2023

Expertise reviews and rates all lawyers and places only the top among those that are proudly diplayed with Expertise.

State Bar of Arizona  # 033949

Member

Current

Arizona

State Bar of Arizona

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Financing Options Available via Affirm (the same company Amazon uses for payment plans)

Q. Is it legal for a witness officer to sit at the prosecutor's table during the trial in a criminal case?

May 20, 2025

A: Yes, this is allowed. This officer is called the "designated case agent" who can do exactly what you have described by sitting with the prosecutor the entire time of the trial. They are often times also a witness in the case and can testify. The prosecutor commonly saves them as the last witness they call so they can fill in the holes or clarify/correct any of the testimony of the other witnesses who testified before them. Historically this was only used in larger cases so the designated case agent could organize and communicate with all the witness to make the court process go smoother but lately has been used in even the smallest cases.

Q. Pulled over for criminal speeding, officer claimed 88 mph, I believe 82 mph.

May 20, 2025

A: The prosecutor on your case is the only one who can give you a plea deal for a civil traffic violation as opposed to a criminal violation. The best way to make this happen is to hire a law firm and let them work their magic to try and get you a civil plea deal.

The judge cannot change the crime type or the charge. The judge does have the power to allow defensive driving school. However, since you already completed it within the past 1 year, then you are not eligible, as you stated. So even if the judge allowed you to do DDS, you would not be allowed to complete it and would be back in the same position you started and likely worse if the judge thinks you were lying about being eligible for DDS.

As to your evidence question, these situations are always your word against the officer. All the officer has to do at trial is say that you were going 88mph and then provide some kind of evidence to prove their case. Their evidence can be a radar gun, pace method or even a visual estimate. These are all allowed but some are more reliable than others but it is ultimately up to the judge to decide if you are guilty or not. You could also testify that you were not doing 88mph and the judge would decide if they believe you over the officer. If you tell the judge you were doing 82mph in a 55mph zone, then you will be incriminating yourself and found guilty of criminal speeding. The criminal speeding crime is anything 20mph over the posted speed limit, which you were doing even if you were actually only doing 82mph. There is no such law that on rural roads this is only a civil violation. If you have that law written somewhere, share it with me as it could be helpful to others too. ... Read More

Q. Impact of paperwork errors on DUI defense in Arizona

May 12, 2025

A: The best case scenario is that you attempt the remove the blood results in the case against you. This is done by supressing the blood results due to some kind of legal error. In short, if the blood results are suppressed then the case essentially must be dismissed since the prosecutor cannot prove the case without it. If the search warrant has errors such as incorrect dates then that might be your best chance at supressing the blood results. However, the judge might decide that it was a harmless error and simply a typo by the officer at which point they will not supress the blood. If that happens, then you took a big risk and it didn't pay off. Trust your public defender and their advice as to the likelihood of your success in these situations.

As far as EDC court goes, this is a fast track process so you have to decide what you want to do rather quickly without all the evidence in your case. However, there should be some kind of blood results available. It would be extremely rare that there was no blood for trial as they take 2 tubes and you could test the second one with Grommes to see if you get different results. The prosecutor must have some kind of blood, urine or breath results in order to prove their case for a DUI.

Keep in mind that you do not have to accept the plea at EDC level. If you do not, then your case gets moved to the trial court level. This means that you will get a new plea but it will be worse. You will not be forced to have a trial. The benefit of this is that you could have more time to decide what to do in your case and to get more evidence such as the BWC footage. The downside is that any old plea deals are off the table and you potentially dig yourself a bigger hole the longer the case goes on. It also sounds like you have prior felonies and/or DUIs so that hurts your case too. ... Read More