Criminal Defense Attorneys in North Miami, FL

An arrest in North Miami leads to Miami-Dade County court, and the right defense matters from the start. A Florida-licensed criminal defense attorney practicing in North Miami will review your charges for free.

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How we match your North Miami criminal defense case

When you submit a North Miami criminal defense matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A criminal defense matter needs someone who handles criminal defense work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Florida law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Florida who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

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DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Criminal Defense cases in North Miami

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North Miami sits inside one of the busiest criminal court systems in the country, and cases here can begin with a North Miami police stop, a Miami-Dade Police call, or a Florida Highway Patrol traffic stop on I-95. Felony charges are prosecuted in the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, with misdemeanors and most traffic offenses heard in county court, and first appearances happen quickly after an arrest. Some conduct — narcotics, firearms, or fraud with an interstate element — instead draws charges in the federal Southern District of Florida. DearLegal matches you with a Florida-licensed attorney who handles criminal defense cases in North Miami, with a free review.

Felonies arising in North Miami are prosecuted in the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court; misdemeanors and traffic offenses go to county court.
Arrests may come from North Miami police, Miami-Dade Police, or state troopers working the I-95 and Biscayne Boulevard corridors, which affects where reports and evidence sit.
Certain drug, gun, and fraud cases are charged federally in the Southern District of Florida, where the procedures and sentencing exposure are different.

Florida criminal defense rules at a glance

North Miami cases run under Florida law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Florida page.

Read the full Florida criminal defense guide →

Felony Statute of Limitations: No limit
No limit for capital, life, or first-degree felonies punishable by life; 4 years for first-degree felonies; 3 years for other felonies (Fla. Stat. § 775.15)
Misdemeanor Statute of Limitations: 2 years
2 years for first-degree misdemeanors; 1 year for second-degree (Fla. Stat. § 775.15)
Sentencing Structure: Criminal Punishment
Criminal Punishment Code (Fla. Stat. § 921.0024) scoresheet system; 10-20-Life firearm mandatory minimums (§ 775.087); Habitual Offender (§ 775.084) and PRR (§ 775.082(9)) enhancements
Expungement / Record Sealing: Fla. Stat. § 943.0585
Fla. Stat. § 943.0585 (expungement of non-convictions); § 943.059 (sealing of records); narrow eligibility, one-time use, many exclusions; juvenile expunction under § 943.0515
Bail / Pretrial Release: Bail
Bail under Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.131 and Fla. Stat. § 903; constitutional right to bail with exceptions (Fla. Const. Art. I, § 14); Arthur hearings for capital and life felony cases
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Exhibit D

How much do North Miami criminal defense attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Florida · Criminal Defense

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Criminal Defense matters in Florida are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Criminal defense attorneys in Florida work on hourly or flat-fee retainers — contingency fees are prohibited in criminal cases under Fla. R. Prof. Conduct 4-1.5(f)(3)(A) and ABA Model Rule 1.5(d). Misdemeanors and most felonies are flat-fee; complex cases (homicide, federal healthcare fraud, multi-count) use hourly billing with substantial retainers. Florida’s 20 elected Public Defender offices represent indigent defendants.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

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Exhibit F

North Miami criminal defense questions, answered

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Felony charges go to the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, while misdemeanors and traffic matters are heard in Miami-Dade County court. If federal prosecutors take the case, it moves to the Southern District of Florida instead. An attorney can tell you which system you are in and what happens at each stage.

You are not required to answer questions, and statements made early are often the most damaging part of a case later. Saying clearly that you want a lawyer and then staying quiet is not an admission of anything. An attorney can handle contact with detectives and prosecutors on your behalf.

Sometimes. Miami-Dade County offers diversion and pretrial programs for certain offenses, and Florida has sealing and expungement procedures with their own eligibility rules. Whether you qualify depends on the charge and your history. An attorney can review eligibility and the deadlines involved, which vary by program.

No. Politely decline and ask for an attorney. Florida law enforcement — Miami-Dade PD, Broward Sheriff, Orlando PD, FHP, FDLE — use trained interrogation techniques. Anything you say can and will be used against you. Invoke your Fifth Amendment right to silence and your right to counsel under Miranda.

Yes. Florida first-degree misdemeanors carry up to 1 year in jail and $1,000 fines under Fla. Stat. § 775.082. Pretrial intervention (PTI) under Fla. Stat. § 948.08 can result in dismissal for first-time offenders, but enrollment requires prosecutor consent. Convictions trigger collateral consequences — license suspension, federal firearm bans for DV, immigration consequences.