Sunrise Pro

New Association for Arizona Process Servers!

2011-12-10T17:19:00.006-07:00

We have very exciting news for all process servers in Arizona. A new association has been formed and its website launched the second week of December 2011. It's named the Arizona Association of Certified Process Servers (AACPS) and it plans on being the premier advocacy group for process servers in the State of Arizona.

It's an action-oriented Association that has already accomplished all this for you (from the new AACPS website bulletin board):
- Formed this action-oriented Association.
- Met at the Supreme Court and worked with Clerks of Court and judges around the state to secure new digital IDs for certified process servers statewide.
- Secured a pledge from the Supreme Court to mandate pre-examination training for certified process server candidates to further professionalize our community.
- Wrote new legislation for trespassing needed legislation.
- Wrote new legislation for HOA needed legislation.
- Wrote new legislation for assault upon a certified process server needed legislation.
- Wrote new legislation for four privacy statutes to protect your personal information from public access.
- Wrote the proposals for all this legislation.
- Secured legislators in both houses to sponsor all this new legislation.
- Presented this legislation to the sponsoring legislators for the January 11 legislative session.
- Established meaningful quarterly Association meetings.
- Established this very active website for members.
- Kept membership dues very low.
- Pledged to actively pursue the professionalization of our community.
- Pledged to be available via e-mail and other media to members.
- Pledged to be actively engaged with the courts.
- Pledged to be actively engaged with the legislature.
- Pledged to be actively engaged with law enforcement agencies and departments.
- Pledged to be actively seeking positive press.
- Provided meaningful and much-needed benefit access at a discount to our members.

That's proof positive that the association is working very hard for you and our professional community. Join us, and be an active part of this revolutionary change!

A Good Time in Badyear, Arizona ... umh ... Bad Time in Goodyear, Arizona!

2010-06-27T08:30:00.038-07:00

Well, the police are at it again in Arizona in what seems to be a relentless and ignorant attack on court officers (process servers) in Maricopa County. In an outrageous case in Goodyear, Arizona, a process server was threatened with arrest for harassment and trespassing simply because she was trying to do her job for the court by serving process on a married couple who did not want to get served.

Apparently in Goodyear all a person needs to do to successfully avoid service is scream and cuss at the process server (again an officer of the Superior Court of Arizona) and then call the police and say that they feel harassed and that the process server is trespassing. The police will then interfere and prevent the process from being served, all the while issuing a veiled threat of arrest.

It does not matter to the police that the defendants have no legal right to refuse service. They would rather assist the scofflaw defendants in avoiding service, rather than assist the court by helping the process server perform her lawful duty. Aren't the courts and the police on the same side? It sounds like the Jeff Showen case all over again, only now in Goodyear instead of Scottsdale. Please click to view Andi Hillis's letter written May 24, 2010 to the Goodyear chief of police and the letter of response from the Goodyear Police Department.

Andi Hillis letter
Goodyear Police letter

Please notice in Goodyear's letter that reference was made to a "Superior Court Appellate overturning [of] a Scottsdale Municipal Court ruling..." This obviously is a reference to the Star case from 1985.

State of Arizona vs. Douglas B. Star (Case LC1987-00135).

Did Goodyear and their attorneys actually read it, since the case originated from Paradise Valley and not Scottsdale! And it seems, if it is convenient, a Superior Court judge ruling can be ignored and scoffed at by the police department or city attorneys since it does not rise to the level of case law (not being a ruling from the Appeals Court or the Supreme Court). That strikes one as being rather arrogant and contemptuous of the judicial system. But, it's not a surprise here in Arizona with the cowboy mentality of the police.

SPS Moves Operations to Surprise

2008-07-11T08:27:00.002-07:00

Sunrise Professional Services has moved the base of its operations to Surprise, Arizona, a surprise move due to the owner getting married in January 2008.

The revised contact information for Michael Davis and SPS is now as follows:

Sunrise Professional Services
PO Box 9140, Surprise, AZ 85374-0135
(602) 550-1168 Cell (623) 374-2852 Office/Fax
E-mail: sunrisepro@cox.net
Web: www.sunriseprofessional.com

Help Needed With Process Service

2006-03-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sunrise Professional Services is looking for one or more licensed process servers to assist with the slow but steady growth of legal process that we are receiving. The need exists for service of process primarily in the west valley in the areas of El Mirage, Youngtown, Laveen, Litchfield Park, Avondale, Surprise, Goodyear, Tolleson, Sun City, Sun City West, Peoria, Glendale and other westside communities. Occasionally help is needed for service in Buckeye, Tonopah, Wittmann and Wickenburg.

Help is needed on a private contract basis and new or experienced process servers are both welcome to respond. If interested, please contact Mike by e-mail:mdavis@sunriseprofessional.com.

Process Server Acquitted

2004-12-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

On Friday, December 3, 2004 Jeffrey Showen stood trial in Scottsdale City Court (Arizona) on two criminal charges stemming from his attempt to serve legal process in September 2003. After the trial the judge took the case under advisement, and three days later acquitted Jeff, finding him not responsible/not guilty on both charges. Click to see the entry posted to the Arizona Supreme Court Case Information website: Jeffrey A. Showen Acquittal

Click here to see the decision issued by Judge Morgan at Scottsdale City Court: Court Decision

Process Server Prosecution Document

2004-12-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

State of Arizona vs. Jeffrey A. Showen (Case CR200406256).
Here is the Complaint filed by the Scottsdale City Prosecutor in the prosecution of Process Server, Jeffrey Showen, due to go to trial in two days.

Process Server Due in Court

2004-11-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

After a not unexpected unsuccessful effort to get charges dismissed in Scottsdale City Court by his attorney, Jeff Showen is scheduled to appear in court December 3, 2004 to stand trial for Trespass and Harassment. Check back for results of the trial as soon as they become available next month.

Arizona Process Server Charged With Criminal Trespass

2004-07-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

My name is Jeff Showen. I am a process server in the State of Arizona in the County of Maricopa. I have been serving process for about 9 years. The City of Scottsdale Arizona would like to make me a convicted process server and use me as an example that could impact the way all of us do business.

In the course of doing my job as process server, I was charged with Criminal Trespass and Criminal Harassment by The City of Scottsdale in April 2004 (CR2004-06256 - filed with the City of Scottsdale Municipal Court).

Let me give you a brief explanation about what this case is about. I received a Civil Summons and Complaint to serve upon [defendants in] Scottsdale, Arizona. I spoke with a female through the front door and she immediately said that she will be contacting the Scottsdale Police and to wait at the bottom of the stair. I waited for the Police. I showed them the documents and my Arizona Process Server license. They took some information down and said that I was free to go. About six months later, I received a notice from the City of Scottsdale saying there are going to press charges upon me for Criminal Trespass and Criminal Harassment.

Process Servers have fought some very impressive battles in court regarding process serving and what we can and can not do to serve process. One of the most well known of is
State of Arizona vs. Douglas B. Star (Case LC1987-00135).
This is a case where a process server went onto a person's property to serve process and was charged with Criminal Trespass in the town of Paradise Valley. The Prosecutor in the City of Scottsdale is ignoring this Case law that was heard and ruled in the Appeals Court. The ruling in this case that was in the favor of the Process Server.

Even though we have this case law on the books, the City of Scottsdale apparently does not honor the judge's verdict. To this day process servers are still fighting this argument in Court since June 6, 1987. We are calling out to all servers to help in my battle and our livelihood. We need to put a STOP to unjustified prosecution of process servers. If we do not this will allows defendants to abuse of the Court system and further avoid service. We need the Police and the Sheriff to support us and back us up. We need a stronger State association to protect and back us when serious charges arise when the process server was not at fault.

Since I am a member, I contacted the Arizona Process Server Association and even attended the Board Member meeting in Prescott on June 26, 2004. My plea to the Association for their assistance was turned down and I was told "we will be very interested in your case when you lose" - Thomas McDonald (Hawkins and Campbell-Phoenix). The feeling was unanimous throughout the entire Board of Directors. We need to band together to protect ourselves since APSA is unwilling to support it own members.

The City of Scottsdale does not see my position and is continuing with prosecution. The Arizona Process Servers Association was not willing to come to my aid in any way, politically or financially. I am sure you can imagine the time and expense that I have invested in defending myself. If this case is lost, and it should become known to all defendants that this is a means of avoiding service, this will affect all of our businesses. You may find yourselves in the same situation. I am not asking for money. I only ask for two favors from you that will cost you nothing but a few minutes.

Email this letter to all of your colleagues that you know in the field of serving process in the State of Arizona. If you send out 5 emails and the next person sends out 5 emails there would be a lot more support for this case. If you feel that emailing private investigators, attorneys, and others in related industries could benefit our cause please feel free to pass this message on. This may be my case today, but could be yours tomorrow.

Email me and let me know your opinion. Let me know if you know of any other case law or other entity that could be helpful to my case. Preferably in Arizona but also cases in the 9th District which is basically the western part of the United States. Please drop me a line at: jm_process@yahoo.com or call 623-204-1150.

Blog Created

2004-07-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mike, the owner of Sunrise Professional Services, creates a blog in order to keep all interested persons informed and up to date about what's happening with Sunrise Professional Services. Pertinent news related to the process service and private investigation industries in Arizona and how it impacts everyone will be published as often as it becomes known.