Glossary of Legal Terms & Definitions

- Magistrate A term that broadly refers to all judges or a judicial officer that assists U.S. district court judges in preparing cases for trial.
- Maintenance Also known as alimony, is money paid by one spouse to the other to financially support them as they did during marriage while they are going through a divorce or separation.
- Mediation A form of Alternative Dispute Resolution that allows parties to an action to informally resolve a dispute without going through the court system.
- Misdemeanor A criminal offense less serious than a felony punishable by fine or imprisonment for less than one year.
- Mistrial A mistrial is declared when a fundamental error occurs during a trial and a new jury must be selected to restart the trial.
- Moot A moot case or point is one that has already been resolved prior to needing a court decision, leaving nothing left for a court to decide.
- Motion A written request submitted to a court or judge requesting a ruling or order in that party’s favor.
- Motion to Dismiss In a criminal case, a motion to dismiss is a written request, typically filed by a defendant, arguing that the case should be thrown out for a violation of their rights or other legal issue.
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What People Say
Client Testimonials

“He was the most professional in dealing with this case”
Tim was most professional in dealing with this case. I know it was stressful for all waiting on doctors and getting the reports. He was able to explain things to my husband even with him being highly frustrated. He kept us all informed. Thank you, Tim!
Neata - Avvo Review

“I was found NOT GUILTY. Dave won the trial for me.”
Dave stayed with me while he pushed back and forth with Covid-19 and the delays with court. Once cited, the state basically decides that you’re guilty through the automatic suspension of your drivers license. Dave immediately took care of that problem and I never lost the privilege of driving. Dave took notes like crazy and was upfront about our uphill battle. I was also well aware that the plea deal that was given to us, was unacceptable and through Dave’s knowledge and experience I had put my trust in him to guide me to make the right decision on how to proceed. With Dave’s guidance I had decided that we needed to fight for something better than what the prosecutor was offering and Dave was 100 percent behind me on that decision. We knew the risks, be we also knew we had very little to lose based on the prosecutions stance. We decided to go to trial… Watching the prosecution and then watching Dave was night and day!! It was clear to the jury that the prosecution didn’t have their facts straight and were not addressing the facts that they could not address…There was a lot at stake for my personal life and my work life. I was found NOT GUILTY. Dave won the trial for me.
Gregory - AVVO Review

“They provided excellent legal representation with clear communication and a strategic approach”
I highly recommend. They provided excellent legal representation with clear communication and a strategic approach. From start to finish, their professionalism and expertise were evident, resulting in a successful resolution of my case. Their responsiveness and support made a challenging process much easier. Overall, exceeded my expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to use their services again.
Gabriel Ochoa - Google Review

“Extremely professional compassionate and knowledgeable.”
David has been extremely professional compassionate and knowledgeable. He exhibited immediate and genuine concern for securing the most favorable outcome I could get. I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you
Jerry - Avvo Review

“I felt secure and protected the whole time”
I just went through 4 of the worst years of my life. Over half of which was spent in a prolonged divorce. It didn’t have to take over 2 years, but that was my fault. I’m not the easiest client to have, but somehow, Darin Colburn handled me and my toxic marriage with absolute perfection. Darin was very professional, tolerant, understanding, and knowledgeable while delivering the best possible results imagined. Mr. Colburn was there for me every step of the way. I felt secure and protected the whole time. I don’t think my case could have been any smoother had I hired anyone else. In the end and along the way, Darin earned every penny plus my respect and appreciation. If I ever need legal representation again, I will look no further than Darin Colburn. Thank you, Darin!
Az Aces- Google Review

“Hiring him was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made”
Hiring Tim was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. He cared about my case and worked on it on a personal level. I didn’t have to check in often but when I did, it was obvious that he was still working hard. He went out of his way to get facts, evidence, and information that would help my case. When the prosecutor wasn’t doing their job, he made sure that I got the best outcome possible. I would recommend Tim to any of my family and friends with full confidence that they would get a desirable outcome.
Tyler - Avvo Review

“Thankful for the excellent service he provide”
Dave stayed with me while he pushed back and forth with Covid-19 and the delays with the court. Once cited, the state basically decides that your guilty through the automatic suspension of your drivers license. Dave immediately took care of that problem and I never lost the privilege of driving. Dave took notes like crazy and was upfront about our uphill battle. I was also well aware that the plea deal that was given to us, was unacceptable and through Dave’s knowledge and experience I had put my trust in him to guide me to make the right decision on how to proceed. With Daves guidance I had decided that we needed to fight for something better than what the prosecutor was offering and Dave was 100 percent behind me on that decision. We knew the risks, be we also knew we had very little to lose based on the prosecutions stance. We decided to go to trial. I knew and felt that it was a long shot based on some of the information in the police report, but I also knew that it was not true. We met previous to the trial so I could better understand what the process is once we get into the court room. Dave answered may questions and spent a lot of time with me trying to be sure I understood things and what time I needed to be there and what would happen once we got there. We worked together on jury selection on the day of trial and we began the case. Watching the prosecution and then watching Dave was night and day!! Dave brought the case to life, Dave grabbed the attention of the jury, Dave had me staring, listening, watching and not missing a beat when he went to fight for me, his client. He went through his notes through the 2 days of trial and his big book. It was clear that he was completely familiar with the facts of the case, the facts on the incident and the responsibility of the prosecution in areas that they weren’t competent. Dave took steps throughout the 2 days that sometimes had me concerned, but his experience calmed me down, once he educated me on this. It was clear to the jury that we working as team. It was clear to the jury that the prosecution didn’t have their facts straight and were not addressing the facts that they could not address. I was nervous to say the least. There was a lot at stake for my personal life and my work life. I was found NOT GUILTY. Dave won the trial for me. I was not only found not guilty, I was found not guilty on 2 counts. I owe this to Dave to truly bring the facts forward, make the arguments, show his passion and his knowledge of the facts and convince the jury that they had reasonable doubt and could not find me guilty. Dave has some fire in him that will come out in trial and it’s rare to have someone with enough personality to relate to the jury and to his client. I am so thankful that I had Dave Maletta as my attorney. It has taken me over a week to finally let it all soak in after 2 1/2 years of stress.
Gregory - Avvo Review

“He is the best he got all the charges dropped”
I was assaulted by two drunk bigots who threw anti semitic slurs at me outside of my favorite restaurant. Im 5’8 158 pounds the main guy “William” who assaulted me is 6’2 205 pounds and tattooed up but falsely claimed I hit him so hard his face was swollen up to the point where he couldn’t work for a month and was seeking $7348 in damages. A false police report was filed against me and William’s best friend Taylor who also assaulted me corroborated the bs story to the best of his ability. For a while I lost my faith in humanity because I was being charged with assault for self defense by the state of Arizona. Rather than pay off William with a misdemeanor compromise I did something he didn’t expect and hired David. In court David proved to the judge that William and Taylor were lying through cross examination he found four cases where they contradicted each other or changed their stories. David also brought up police body camera footage of a civilian explaining what happened which was a completely different story than what William and Taylor had told police, the look on the prosecutors face was priceless. If found guilty I would have a criminal record for the rest of my life and probably lose my real estate license so it meant the world to me that David got all the charges dropped.
Michael - Avvo Review

“Their professionalism and dedication were evident in every interaction”
I had an outstanding experience with Colburn Hintze Maletta PLLC. Their team provided expert legal guidance and support throughout my case. They were responsive, thorough, and always kept me informed. Their professionalism and dedication were evident in every interaction, and they navigated the complexities of my situation with skill and efficiency. I am grateful for their expertise and highly recommend Colburn Hintze Maletta PLLC to anyone in need of reliable and effective legal representation.
Devin Farias - Google Review

“He was very kind and courteous”
Mr. David Maletta was very kind and courteous when he called me I explained my situation and he listened and then told me that I was fine. When I need a lawyer I will go through this firm and not be worried at all. Thank you again Mr. Maletta
Harold W Garlock Jr - Google Review

“They were incredible”
I cannot say enough good things about this place. I had them take care of a few different things for me and they were incredible. Everything was submitted quickly and it was so easy on my part. Jessica kept me updated every step of the way and was very thorough. David was great, he walked me through the process and gave me an estimate of how long the whole process would take. The best lawyer I’ve ever had. I will use them for anything I need in the future.
Luz Jimenez - Google Review

“He exceeded all of my expectations”
I cannot recommend Mr.Castillo enough. As a survivor of domestic violence, I needed an attorney who was not only knowledgeable and experienced but also compassionate and understanding. Mr. Castillo exceeded all of my expectations. He listened to my story with empathy and kindness and guided me through the legal process with clarity and expertise. He was always available to answer my questions, address my concerns, and offer support when I needed it most.Thanks to Mr.Castillo, I received the justice and protection I deserved. If you’re going through a similar situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to them.
Danna Mendoza - Google Review

“He’s the best!!”
Attorney, Tim Hintze, was a godsend to me!! I truly felt like life was over after I was arrested for Super Extreme DUI. This experience was so devastating for me, and I had no idea what to do. Fortunately for me. Tim, with his outstanding calming and professional demeanor, eased my fears and anxieties, throughout this extremely stressful process. Tim, being so thorough with every issue of the case, from viewing the police cams to interviews with officers, was able to pinpoint major flaws made, unknowingly by officers, which resulted in my charges being greatly reduced! His focus on every detail, of my arrest, helped to secure specific evidence which resulted in my charges of Super Extreme DUI, to Impaired to the slightest degree charge, with no jail time! I will be forever grateful to Tim for his expertise and knowledge, but mainly for his kind, and understanding nature which helped me survive this very stressful process. I highly recommend Attorney Tim Hintze to all who need a most sincere, professional, and highly knowledgeable Attorney! He’s the best!!
Deb - Avvo Review

” She did an excellent job”
Juanita did an excellent job helping my family, we got the answers we needed and the info she gave us was easy to understand.
Jeremy Standfill - Google Review

“She really knows her stuff”
Juanita is such a pleasure to interact with. She really knows her stuff and explains everything in great detail!
Isaac Ortega - Google Review

“Thank you Tim for showing empathy for my situation!”
I had a free consultation with Timothy Hintze, he’s super compassionate and takes the time to hear you out and answer questions. He’s very honest and based on that consultation I can tell her is quick to think on his feet. Unfortunately right now I can’t change my order or modify but definitely considering him once it’s time to modify my order in the future! Thank you Tim for showing empathy for my situation! I don’t get that a lot from lawyers.
Natalie Nat - Google Review

“We cannot say thank you enough for all of your help and expertise”
We hired David Maletta because of a felony DUI offense that had a mandatory minimum sentence of four months in prison. David Maletta did an amazing job and got the charge reduced to a misdemeanor DUI. The sentence for the misdemeanor DUI was only one day in jail with time served. David Maletta really cared about the outcome of the case and he went above and beyond to make a horrible situation much better. We cannot say thank you enough for all of your help and expertise. If we ever need legal representation again or if I know anyone else who requires legal representation, my first call will be to David Maletta.
Patricia - Avvo Review

“A true strategist who considers long-term situations”
A top-notch attorney who knows the trade well. A true strategist who considers long-term situations, is extremely accessible anytime and if in a meeting, timely returns calls, for those affected, his delivery comes across as highly confident but with a feeling of calmness. Works well with a range of generations.
Ben - Avvo Review

“I cannot speak highly enough of her exceptional legal representation”
I recently had the privilege of working with Attorney Lauren Bostick, and I cannot speak highly enough of her exceptional legal representation. From the outset, Lauren demonstrated a remarkable balance of empathy and assertiveness, which truly set her apart. One of the most impressive aspects of Lauren’s approach was her unwavering empathy. She took the time to truly understand my situation and concerns, ensuring that I felt heard and supported throughout the legal process. Her compassionate demeanor provided much-needed reassurance during what was undoubtedly a challenging time. Moreover, Lauren’s assertiveness and tenacity were instrumental in securing a favorable outcome for my case. She navigated the complexities of the legal system with confidence and determination, advocating fiercely on my behalf. Thanks to her diligent efforts, I was able to achieve the custody arrangement I deserved and negotiate a fair settlement. In summary, Attorney Lauren Bostick is a consummate professional who goes above and beyond for her clients. Her combination of empathy and aggressiveness makes her a force to be reckoned with in the legal field. I am immensely grateful for her expertise and support, and I would highly recommend her services to anyone in need of legal representation.
Adam Kreman- Google Review

“She was amazing!”
Jessica was our lawyer and she was amazing! She was very thorough took her time, and paid attention to detail. She was super kind and friendly, I would absolutely recommend checking her out! We paid her to get a job done and she delivered!! Tim did our consultation and is amazing as well! I would highly recommend this law firm if you are in need of services they are all professional and mean business! Thank you Jessica for being so patient with us!