My practice is, and always has been committed to criminal defense. I have NEVER prosecuted, and have ALWAYS fought for the rights of the accused. Over the years I have handled thousands of criminal cases, more then half of which have been DUI or alcohol related offenses. To stay at the top of my profession, I have attended numerous legal education seminars, the majority of which involved specialized training in DUI and criminal defense.
- Bachelor of Arts in History - Arizona State University
- Post Baccalaureate Certification in Secondary Education - Arizona State University
- Juris Doctor - University of Arizona
- Member of Arizona Attorneys For Criminal Justice (AACJ)
- Years of experience litigating criminal cases ranging from misdemeanor bench trials, DUI jury trials, and full felony jury trials
- Faculty Speaker at AACJ Aggressive Defense of The Accused Driver multiple occasions
- Speaker at Arizona Public Defender's Association multiple occasions
Professional Memberships
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State Bar of Arizona, since 1998
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Pima County Bar Association, since 2004
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National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, since 2004
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Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, since 1998
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Better Business Bureau, since 2013
Speaking Engagements
2019
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AACJ 32nd Annual Aggressive Defense of The Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Issues With DPS Blood
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16th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
DUI Intensive
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16th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
FSTs and NHTSA
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Pima County Public Defender's Office
Blood Testing 101
2018
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AACJ 31st Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Case Law Review
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15th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
Rule 12.9 - Challenging Grand Jury Proceedings
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15th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
Using NHTSA and Other Studies to Your Advantage at Trial
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Pima County Legal Defender's Office (LDO)
Blood Alcohol Testing
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Pima County Legal Defender's Office (LDO)
Field Sobriety Tests
2017
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AACJ 30th Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Developing Trial Strategies
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14th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
No Fear - Eliminating The Unknown From The DUI Trial
2016
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AACJ 29th Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Ideas To Help With The DUI Trial
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13th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
DUI Trial - From Motions In Limine, To Cross Examination, To Closing
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DUI Pro
Winning DUI Cases
2015
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AACJ 28th Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Challenging Breath Test Results
2014
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AACJ 27th Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Things That Work
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12th Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
Using Openings To Set Up Your DUI Closing
2012
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10th Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar (APDA)
Ethical Jeopardy
2010
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AACJ 23rd Annual Aggressive Defense of the Accused Impaired Driver (AACJ)
Vampire Challenge
2009
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7th Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar
Phlebotomy Challenges in DUI Cases
2008
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6th Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar
DUI Blood Draws
2007
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5th Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar
Police Blood Draw Litigation
2006
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4th Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar
Latest Developments in Blood Draw and Phlebotomist Cases
2005
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3rd Annual Arizona Public Defender Association Annual Seminar
Police Blood Draw Litigation
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Pima County Indigent Defense 2005 Contract Attorney CLE
DUI Issues and Litigation
Awards / Recognition
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2016 Robert J. Hooker Award - Arizona Public Defender Association
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AV Preeminent Rated - Martindale-Hubbell since 2014
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A+ Accreditation - Better Business Bureau since 2013
Recent Blog Posts
DUI and Marijuana
Martial Privilege And DUI
Arizona Supreme Court - State v. Maciel & Miranda Rights
Holiday DUI Task Force
Lost and Found Evidence
Recommendations
- James and Dina, I can’t thank you enough for the dedication and time you took working with my DUI case. Winning this case has given me so many opportunities I thought would be no longer possible. Out of all the attorneys I researched and interviewed, your office was the most thorough....
- Mr. Charnesky and Ms. Dieglio helped me in my case this past year which eventually ended with a Not Guilty Verdict. They put their full time and resources into helping me and acted with superior professionalism towards myself in every meeting we had. If I had to choose an attorney to defend mys...
- Good Morning, The Set Aside was quick and went as expected this morning, so I just wanted to give you all another thank you. Thank you for all of your help over the past two years working through all of this. Having a dedicated team like yourselves on my side made the whole process much eas...
- Dear Mr. Charnesky, You saved my son's life. Please know that this thank-you comes with my deepest and most sincere appreciation for your help. Our initial phone conversation you were very polite, honest, kind, professional, and willing to help us navigate through T's case. As small as it may...
- To Attorney Charnesky and Attorney Dieglio, Thank you so much for all the hard work and getting my case dismissed. With much gratitude, TB
- You were the best lawyer. Thank you for really showing that you cared. Thank you so much for being a good person. I will be forever grateful for your services and caring heart. Once again, Thank-you! BJS
- You did a fantastic job for me. I was amazed at the level of detail that you were dealing with in my case. I would not hesitate to recommend your practice to anyone. Thank you!
- To James Charnesky & Dina Dieglio, Thank you so much for all the hard work and for getting my case dismissed. With much gratitude, TB
- James and Dina: I want to take an opportunity to thank you for the outstanding legal work you did to help me through such a difficult time in my life. I feel you both represent everything a lawyer is supposed to be to a client- from your consistent follow-through on everything, to the since...
