[bbl]

My wife was arrested for assaulting me recently and is scheduled for a court hearing 05/11/2005 for assault. At the time of the arrest my wife was very drunk, and doesn't remember anything. I called the police because she was out of control and I wanted her to go to detox. I told the officer that she did punch me in the mouth, but I just wanted her to sober up. I told him that I do not want to press charges. He assured me that she would be put in detox and that she won't be charged with anything. He had me record my statement on a tape recorder. Can I recant my statement? Also, my wife was appointed a public defender. She was told to wait about 10 days and call the attorney to go over the case. She called the attorney, and he didn't even have her file, and said that he won't get it till about 5 minutes before the hearing. He also said that the charges most likely will not be dropped because in Arizona they never drop charges. I am very concerned about this whole scenario, especially my wife getting proper defense from this guy. Is there anything I can do? If it does go to trial, Can I recant my statement that I gave to the police?

Thank you in advance.

[aaron]

If you are even dreaming about making false statements to the police, or perjuring yourself if called to testify, you should consult with a criminal defense lawyer about your plans.