The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona is the federal trial court for the whole state. Under its Local Civil Rule 77.1(b), it is open full time in Phoenix and Tucson, and its site lists hearing locations in Flagstaff and Yuma. Here is where the court sits, who prosecutes and defends cases there, and where its rules are published.
Where does the court sit?
Arizona is one judicial district, and by statute court is held at Flagstaff, Globe, Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson and Yuma (28 U.S.C. § 82). The court's Local Civil Rule 77.1 divides the state into three divisions: Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson. The court's site lists these locations:
Phoenix Division: Phoenix
Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse, 401 West Washington Street. Covers Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz and Gila counties.
Tucson Division: Tucson
Evo A. DeConcini U.S. Courthouse, 405 West Congress Street. Covers Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee counties.
Prescott Division
Covers Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai counties. The court's site lists no Prescott courthouse. Under Local Civil Rule 77.1(b), the court sits at Prescott and other places when the court designates.
Yuma
John M. Roll U.S. Courthouse, 98 West 1st Street. The court's site says this location is for hearings only; filings are not accepted there.
Flagstaff
123 North San Francisco Street, Suite 200. The court's site says this location is for hearings only; filings are not accepted there.
Under Local Civil Rule 77.1(c), which covers criminal cases too, a case is tried in the division where it arose unless the court orders otherwise. Cases from the part of the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Maricopa County, and from the San Carlos Reservation, are tried in Phoenix; cases from the rest of the Tohono O'odham Reservation are tried in Tucson.
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Which appeals court covers it?
Appeals from this court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). Its decisions are binding on the federal judges in this district, so its precedent governs cases here (uscourts.gov, About the U.S. Courts of Appeals).
Who prosecutes and who defends?
Federal prosecutors here work for the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Anyone charged with a federal crime who can’t afford a lawyer can ask the court to appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). Here, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona, a Federal Public Defender office with offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Yuma, or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.
Where are the local rules and sentencing procedures?
Every federal court follows the national rules, such as the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, plus its own local rules. This court publishes them on its local rules page.
Under Local Criminal Rule 32.1(c)(2), unless the court directs otherwise, the probation officer shares the sentencing recommendation with the defense and the prosecutor as part of the draft and final presentence reports. Rule 32.1(a) adds that after a conviction, the court orders the defendant not to leave Arizona without permission until the probation officer has interviewed them. The local rules set no separate report deadlines, so the federal rule applies: the report goes to the defense at least 35 days before sentencing, and objections are due within 14 days (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(e)(2), (f)).
“Unless the Court directs otherwise, the Probation Officer shall disclose the sentencing recommendation as part of the initial and final presentence reports.”
How does a lawyer from outside the district appear here?
In many federal courts, a lawyer who isn’t a member of the court’s bar must ask the judge for permission to appear in a specific case (often called pro hac vice admission), and many courts also require a lawyer who is a member of their bar to sponsor the request or appear alongside. The judge decides whether to allow it. In this court, the rule is LRCiv 83.1(b)(2), applied in criminal cases by LRCrim 57.12.
“may, upon written application and in the discretion of the Court, be permitted to appear and participate in a particular case.”
Which federal prisons are in this district?
Bureau of Prisons facilities in this district (from bop.gov, which lists their judicial district as Arizona):
- FCI Phoenix
Medium security, with a satellite camp and a detention center. Phoenix, Maricopa County.
- FCI Tucson
Medium security, with a detention center. Tucson, Pima County. Part of FCC Tucson.
- USP Tucson
High security, with a satellite camp. Tucson, Pima County. Part of FCC Tucson.
- FCI Safford
Low security. Safford, Graham County.
A prison being in this district doesn’t mean someone sentenced here will go there. The Bureau of Prisons decides where each person serves their sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).
What families should know about federal cases in this district
- The first hearing comes fast. After an arrest, the person goes before a magistrate judge without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance (Fed. R. Crim. P. 5(a)). The judge decides whether they stay in custody while the case goes on (18 U.S.C. § 3142).
- Most felony cases start with an indictment. A grand jury decides in private whether to approve the charges (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 7).
- The presentence report matters. A federal probation officer writes a report on the offense and the person’s life before sentencing, and the defense can object to mistakes in it (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)–(f)). Check this court’s schedule above.
- The judge decides the sentence. The judge must consider the Sentencing Guidelines and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including the person’s history and background. Families can write letters; there is no limit on the background information a judge may consider (18 U.S.C. § 3661).
- The appeal clock is short. A defendant’s notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
- Prison phones and email are monitored. Don’t discuss the case on them (28 C.F.R. § 540.102).
Questions about the District of Arizona
Will my loved one's case be in Phoenix, Tucson or somewhere else?
It depends on where the case arose. Under the court's Local Civil Rule 77.1, which covers criminal cases too, cases from Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, La Paz and Gila counties are tried in Phoenix; cases from Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee counties are tried in Tucson; and cases from Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave and Yavapai counties are tried in Prescott, unless the court orders otherwise. Some hearings are held in Yuma and Flagstaff. The charging papers and the docket show where the case is.
Who prosecutes federal cases in Arizona?
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona (justice.gov/usao-az), part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
What if my loved one can't afford a lawyer?
The court can appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). In this district, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.
Where do appeals from this court go?
To the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). A defendant's notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
Sources
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- D. Ariz. court locations (Phoenix)
- D. Ariz. Tucson location
- D. Ariz. Yuma location
- D. Ariz. Flagstaff location
- 28 U.S.C. § 82
- D. Ariz. Local Rules
- D. Ariz. Local Rules of Civil Procedure (eff. Dec. 1, 2025 PDF)
- D. Ariz. Local Rules of Criminal Procedure (eff. Dec. 1, 2025 PDF)
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 (circuits)
- uscourts.gov: About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
- USAO District of Arizona
- Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona
- FCI Phoenix (bop.gov)
- FCI Tucson (bop.gov)
- USP Tucson (bop.gov)
- FCI Safford (bop.gov)
- BOP locations list