Tucson Defenders

Focus and practice areas

Tucson Defenders is a criminal defense firm based in Tucson, Arizona. The firm handles both state and federal criminal matters. That range runs from misdemeanor charges such as DUI up to serious felony cases.

The practice areas listed on the firm's site cover a wide slice of criminal law. These include drug crimes and drug trafficking, DUI, domestic violence, theft, robbery, and burglary. The firm also takes on fraud, money laundering, forgery, weapons offenses, and sex crimes. Homicide, attempted murder, manslaughter, and assault appear on the list too.

In my opinion, the breadth here is worth noting for anyone weighing options. A client facing a first DUI and a client facing a homicide charge would find both covered under one roof. The firm also handles juvenile cases and probation violations.

Federal and border-related work

Tucson sits close to the US-Mexico border, and the firm's caseload reflects that geography. Beyond the usual state charges, it handles federal matters tied to the region. These include alien smuggling and illegal re-entry cases.

Asset forfeiture defense is part of that federal picture as well. The firm represents clients in the federal District of Arizona, not only in local courts. For a defendant caught up in a federal charge, having a firm that already works in that court matters.

On the state side, the firm appears in Pima County courts. It also offers free consultations, so a first conversation carries no cost. That lowers the bar for someone trying to understand a charge before committing.

How the team is built

The firm names two attorneys on its site, and their backgrounds sit in different corners of criminal law. Nicholas Loncar was first licensed to practice in California in 2012. He expanded his practice to Arizona in 2020, which lines up with the firm's copyright date.

Loncar's earlier work leans heavily on the public defense side. He worked with the San Diego County Alternate Public Defender and the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He also served with the Federal Defender in Camden, New Jersey. That mix means time spent on both state and federal defense before opening this practice.

His education is listed as the College of William and Mary, followed by Villanova University School of Law. As a reviewer, I read that public defender track record as relevant. Defenders spend their days in volume criminal work, and that courtroom exposure tends to build practical judgment.

Appellate and post-conviction depth

Arianna Price brings a different focus to the firm. Her work centers on appellate law, habeas corpus, and post-conviction matters. That is a distinct skill set from trial defense, and it is not something every small firm keeps in house.

Price studied at Loyola Law School. There she worked at the student-run Project for the Innocent clinic, concentrating on criminal law and state and federal post-conviction law. She stayed with the clinic after graduation as a post-graduate fellow.

During that fellowship she was involved in the release of six clients. She also has a background in civil rights litigation, including claims under 42 U.S. Code section 1983. For a client thinking about an appeal or a challenge to an existing conviction, that experience answers a real need.

What the record shows

The firm operates under the name Tucson Defenders, also styled as Tucson Criminal Defense Attorneys. Its copyright notice reads 2020, which matches the year Loncar brought his practice to Arizona. The office sits on East Broadway Boulevard in Tucson.

What stands out to me is the pairing of two skill sets. One attorney carries years of trial-level public defense across several jurisdictions. The other works the appeals and post-conviction side, where cases get a second look. A client whose trial has ended still has a route to pursue.

The firm keeps its scope squarely on criminal defense. It does not spread into unrelated areas of law. For someone facing a criminal charge, that single focus can be a point in its favor, since every listed practice area sits within one field.

Who might find it a fit

Tucson Defenders reads as a fit for a fairly broad set of criminal cases in the Tucson area. Someone charged with a DUI or a theft offense falls within its stated work. So does a client facing drug trafficking, a violent felony, or a sex crime charge.

The federal and border-related capacity widens that pool further. A person charged with illegal re-entry or alien smuggling, or one facing asset forfeiture, would find those areas listed. The free consultation gives room to test whether the firm suits the case before any commitment.

The appellate work rounds out the picture. A client who has already been convicted, and who wants to explore an appeal or a habeas petition, has a named attorney whose practice covers exactly that. In my view, that combination of trial defense and post-conviction work is the clearest signal this listing offers. It suggests a firm that can stay with a case at more than one stage.