Former NFL player Darren Sharper has been charged in Tempe, Arizona for sexual assault and administering dangerous drugs relating to the assault.

Sharper is also under investigation for other alleged sexual assault cases in California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Florida, according to CNN.

A grand jury in Tempe indicted Sharper on the criminal charges, and the next step is trial.

Wednesday afternoon, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a controversial anti-gay bill that would have allowed businesses that asserted their religious beliefs the right to deny service to gay and lesbian customers, CNN reports.

But what happens if a business owner in Phoenix balks at Brewer's veto of SB 1062 and refuses to serve gay customers, anyway? More specifically, can he or she be arrested?

The answer will turn on whether it's viewed criminally or civilly.

With Washington declaring a moratorium on the death penalty, Arizonans may be wondering if death penalty is legal in their state.

Famous cases where the death penalty is a possibility, like with Jodi Arias, bring Arizona capital punishment to center stage.

Here's a brief legal history of the death penalty in Arizona.

A U.S. deputy marshal opened fire Monday on a man suspected of stealing a rifle from a Pinal County police officer's car.

One of the suspects was allegedly climbing out of the window of a Ford Mustang when police fired shots and wounded him, AZ Central reported. The U.S. Marshal claimed that the suspect was making "furtive movements" as he was climbing out the window, so he shot him.

This story may leave Phoenix residents wondering: When can police legally shoot a suspect?

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Ninth Circuit's decision that declared Arizona's abortion ban unconstitutional. This means that Arizona's law banning abortions starting at 20 weeks of gestation remains invalidated, according to Reuters.

Prior to appealing to the Supreme Court, the constitutionality of the ban was heard in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the Ninth Circuit's ruling gives a huge win for reproductive justice advocates in Arizona.

Arizona State University's (ASU) annual crime report for the 2012 calendar year is out. This report is published annually and provides crime statistics for the previous three-year period, Arizona's KTVK-TV reports.

What important findings came out of this year's report? Here's a general overview of some numbers from 2012:

What do you know about restraining orders in Phoenix? While nobody wants to think about the unfortunate situation of having to obtain a restraining order at any point in her or her life, it's often an unfortunate reality.

Because we often can't predict how certain relationships will turn out, or what possible dangers or issues we'll come across in our life, it's best to be prepared.

Here are five facts to remember about restraining orders in Phoenix:

Are you legally required to have your ID on you at all times in Arizona? Can you get arrested if you don't have it on you? You are legally required to present ID in certain circumstances, like proving you're of age when ordering an alcoholic beverage or presenting a driver's license when pulled over while driving.

But, what about in other situations? Is it a crime to walk around without an ID? Here's what the law in Arizona has to say about having your ID on you at all times:

When do you get a public defender? Getting arrested for a crime in Arizona, and generally everywhere else, is only the beginning of what is often a difficult, long, and expensive process of going to court, awaiting your verdict, and then paying the price that the courts will dole out for you.

A crucial part of this is hiring the right attorney to represent you. An attorney is necessary if you've been charged with a crime. But unfortunately they are often costly.

What do you do if you just don't have the means to afford a private attorney? This is where public defenders come in.

Jodi Arias was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder, and jurors will start hearing evidence in the aggravation phase of the trial starting Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

This phase of the trial marks the beginning of the jury's determination of whether Arias should receive the death penalty. However, there are still at least three potential ways in which she could avoid capital punishment.

Here's an overview of how that could happen: