As the Legislature enters what are likely the waning weeks of the 2021 session, a few bills meant to make Arizona's system of criminal sentencing more lenient have already been signed into law, while more ambitious measures have stalled.

State lawmakers took the first steps February 3 to reversing decades of tough-on-crime policies.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to give people serving time for low-level felonies the opportunity to reduce their sentences by up to 60 percent, but selling the rest of their colleagues on the idea could be tough.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether someone convicted decades ago of two murders will get a chance now to present evidence of his abusive childhood to a jury.

In a recent guest opinion, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery peddles a grab bag of outdated and weak measures – some over 40 years old – to claim that Arizona leads in criminal justice reform. If only.

The Arizona Supreme Court decided Nov. 21 to leave intact the criminal record of a death row inmate who died of natural causes before his case ended.

Former Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi should be sent to federal prison for nearly three years for convictions on public corruption, money laundering and other charges, according to recommendations from the U.S. Probation Office.

The lobbyist accused of orchestrating the Fiesta Bowl scandal was indicted Thursday on eight low-level felonies not associated with the bowl-game scheme.

TUCSON ai??i?? Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi has requested a postponement of his Aug. 16 sentencing date for more than a half dozen corruption charges accusing him of using his office for personal financial gain and looting a family insurance business to help pay for his 2002 campaign.

A federal prosecutor is trying to convince US District Court Judge Frank Martone that Arredondo’s history of charitable deeds and community service is not worthy of leniency during his Jan. 23 sentencing for his guilty pleas to counts of honest services mail fraud and mail fraud.