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:

While most of us dread jury duty, it is possible to get kicked off a jury after you've been selected. Jurors are sometimes excused even in the middle of trial, as happened to three jurors in the Jodi Arias murder case, ABC News reports.

While your goal as a good juror should be to pay attention and impartially evaluate a case, there are many possible ways to get kicked off a jury in Arizona.

Here are five of the most common reasons for a juror to be excused:

Getting arrested for a crime and facing a Phoenix criminal law trial is an extremely stressful event. That is why it is extremely important to familiarize yourself with the process of a criminal trial if your case is being heard in court.

The purpose of a trial is for a jury of your peers to examine the evidence against you and determine if you committed the crime. You are innocent until proven guilty, and the burden is on the prosecutor to convince the jury that you committed the crime.

Here are the six major stages of a criminal trial:

Even criminal defendants are protected by a number of constitutional rights. Of course, these rights won't do you much good unless you're aware of them.

Since you never know when you may have a run-in with the law, it's important to familiarize yourself with your rights as a suspect or criminal defendant. Below, we've outlined three of the most important constitutional amendments for criminal defendants.

If you are charged with assault or battery in Arizona, you may be able to claim self-defense.

Generally, in Arizona, a person is justified in threatening or using physical force against another when the force is necessary to protect himself against the other person's unlawful use of force.

Keep in mind that the use of force must be reasonable, and the belief that the other person will strike you also must be reasonable. So you can't simply strike a person if you weren't really being threatened or in a dangerous situation in the first place.

A criminal record isn't exactly a hot accessory, but you don't have to carry it around with you forever. Or at least, you don't have to if you can expunge your prior convictions.

Except that Arizona doesn't call it expungement. Under state law it's known as setting aside a conviction. But the effect is the same: Your record is cleared. That makes certain things easier, like getting a job or an apartment.

If you can clear your record, obviously you want to do it. But not everyone can; it depends on what crime was committed.