Criminal Defense Lawyers in Scottsdale
349 verified criminal defense attorneys in Scottsdale. A criminal defense attorney protects your rights from arrest through trial. Find experienced lawyers handling DUI, drug, federal, theft, and violent-crime charges.
Attorney Damon Petrehn provides legal representation to clients facing traffic tickets, DUI, and criminal charges in the greater Phoenix area and thro...
Ms Rachel E Caldwell is a lawyer practicing family law, juvenile law. Rachel received a B.A. degree from University of Washington, and has been licens...
Mr Howard Frederic Dworman is a lawyer practicing criminal law, criminal defense, dui/dwi and 15 other areas of law. Howard received a B.A. degree fro...
Ms. Rachelle S Ferraro is a lawyer practicing criminal justice, assault and battery, burglary and 29 other areas of law.
Mr. Daniel Robert Wilson is a lawyer practicing criminal defense, misdemeanors, personal injury and 3 other areas of law.
John Schill has been working to protect the interests of clients for over 20 years. Mr.
James David Smith (“Dave”) attended the University of Phoenix and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Following his undergradu...
Ms. Hope E Fruchtman is a lawyer practicing family law, juvenile law, wills and 5 other areas of law.
Paul Englander is a lawyer practicing plaintiff's personal injury, catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury and 22 other areas of law. Paul receive...
Derek Douglas Debus is a lawyer practicing military law, veteran’s law, criminal law and 3 other areas of law. Derek has been licensed for 6 years.
Ms. Janet S Story is a lawyer practicing family law, grandparent custody, juvenile law and 1 other area of law.
Mr Robert F Crawford is a lawyer practicing plaintiff's personal injury law, criminal defense, driving while intoxicated and 3 other areas of law. Rob...
Hon David Peter Arrow is a lawyer practicing commercial and real estate transactions, elder law, estate planning and 6 other areas of law. David recei...
ROBERT J. MCWHIRTER IS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT CRIMINAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYERS IN THE SOUTHWEST.
Mr Eric W Kessler is a lawyer practicing collections, construction law, contracts and 12 other areas of law. Eric received a B.S. degree from Arizona ...
Mr Steven George Scharboneau is a lawyer practicing criminal defense, drug crimes, dui/dwi and 17 other areas of law. Steven received a B.A. degree fr...
Mr. Bryan James Blehm is a lawyer practicing alternative dispute resolution, business law, commercial law and 8 other areas of law.
Mr. James Edward Padish is a lawyer practicing domestic relations, criminal defense, litigation and 6 other areas of law.
A seasoned prosecutor and trial attorney, Robyn Barrett’s tenacity when it comes to divorce and family law shows relentless ambition for justice and t...
Mr. David W Dow is a lawyer practicing antitrust and trade regulation, appellate practice, cannabis law and 9 other areas of law.
Mrs Carmen Chenal Horne is a lawyer practicing criminal law, construction law, litigation and 14 other areas of law. Carmen received a B.A. degree fro...
Mr. Richard M Romley is a lawyer practicing criminal law, government, criminal defense.
Jonathan Goebel is the managing attorney at Rosenstein Law Group, is licensed to practice law in the state of Arizona and the United States District C...
Mr. Kaine Robert Fisher is a lawyer practicing domestic relations, criminal law, family/domestic relations and 7 other areas of law.
Ms. Monica K Lindstrom is a lawyer practicing administrative law, alternative dispute resolution, assault and 29 other areas of law.
Mr Don Bivens is a lawyer practicing auditor and accountant defense, class action litigation, commercial litigation and 7 other areas of law. Don rece...
Mr. Christopher P Corso is a lawyer practicing criminal law, litigation, traffic law and 4 other areas of law.
Mr. Mark Beller is a lawyer practicing dui/dwi, criminal defense, driving while intoxicated and 1 other area of law.
Mr Seth William Peterson is a lawyer practicing criminal law. Seth received a B.A. degree from University of Arizona in 1997, and has been licensed fo...
Joseph A. Ettinger is a lawyer practicing criminal law, civil rights, general litigation.
Ken Mann is a lawyer practicing adea, accountings, alleged business torts and statutory torts and 55 other areas of law. Ken received a B.S. degree fr...
William Stanley Garr is a lawyer practicing aviation and aerospace, administrative law, appellate practice and 37 other areas of law. William received...
Mr Mark E Hall is a lawyer practicing criminal law, personal injury, probate and trust law and 1 other area of law. Mark received a B.S. degree from A...
Mr. Craig W Penrod is a lawyer practicing driving while intoxicated, drug crimes, felonies and 9 other areas of law.
Alan S Baskin is a lawyer practicing securities regulation, securities litigation, commercial litigation and 8 other areas of law. Alan received a B.A...
Ms. Leslie A Lemense is a lawyer practicing criminal law, driving while intoxicated, drug crimes and 11 other areas of law.
Jeffrey L Victor is a lawyer practicing criminal defense, elder law, insurance and 8 other areas of law. Jeffrey received a B.A. degree from Ramapo Co...
Mr Mark J Robens is a lawyer practicing alternative dispute resolution, criminal law, family/domestic relations and 5 other areas of law. Mark receive...
Mr. Michael R.
Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Alpha Delta. Assistant Federal Defender, 1982.
Mr. David G Derickson is a lawyer practicing administrative law, civil litigation, criminal defense law and 8 other areas of law.
Mr. Douglas Frederick Behm is a lawyer practicing white collar criminal and regulatory defense, securities enforcement defense, health care, medicaid ...
Arthur W Pederson is a lawyer practicing commercial litigation, construction, civil rights and discrimination and 7 other areas of law. Arthur receive...
Ms. Allison Shiff Weinstock is a lawyer practicing commercial litigation, family law, juvenile law.
Mr. Paul A Ramos is a lawyer practicing dui/dwi, criminal law, drugs and narcotics and 2 other areas of law.
Mr. Mark W Hawkins is a lawyer practicing family law, divorce, child custody and 8 other areas of law.
Mr. William A Miller is a lawyer practicing business law, commercial law, commercial litigation and 16 other areas of law.
Mr. James R.
Ms Ronee F Korbin Steiner is a lawyer practicing legal separation, parenting time, spousal maintenance and 4 other areas of law. Ronee F received a B....
Mr. Seth L.
Mr Grant Hayes Frazier is a lawyer practicing business litigation, alternative dispute resolution, general corporate and business transactions and 13 ...
Mr Alden H Yako is a lawyer practicing business law, criminal law, real estate/real property and 4 other areas of law. Alden received a degree from Ar...
Ms. Marci A Kratter is a lawyer practicing criminal defense, litigation.
Mr Taylor House is a lawyer practicing probate, trusts and estates, alternative dispute resolution and 13 other areas of law. Taylor received a degree...
Mr. William Foreman is a lawyer practicing major felony criminal defense in state and federal courts, all sex offenses, drug crimes and 11 other areas...
Mr. William G.
Mr. John E Parzych is a lawyer practicing bank collections, bank foreclosures, bank fraud and 85 other areas of law.
Mr. James Edmond Viles is a lawyer practicing trusts and estates, estate planning, wills and 16 other areas of law.
Ms. Karen A.
Mr Robert G Schaffer is a lawyer practicing alternative dispute resolution, antitrust and trade regulation, appellate practice and 16 other areas of l...
What is Criminal Law?
Criminal Law is the branch of law that governs the rights, obligations, and disputes that arise within its subject matter. In the United States, criminal law sits at the intersection of statutes enacted by Congress, the regulations issued by federal agencies, the laws passed by all fifty state legislatures, and the body of judge-made decisions known as the common law. Because every state writes its own version of the rules, the way criminal law works in one jurisdiction can look noticeably different from how it works in another, and that is one of the main reasons attorneys in this area focus their practice geographically — to stay fluent in the local statutes, court rules, and judicial preferences that shape outcomes.
At a practical level, Criminal Law attorneys spend their time on three categories of work. The first is advice and prevention: counselling clients on how to structure transactions, draft documents, and conduct business so that legal risk is minimised before a dispute ever begins. The second is transactional execution: producing the contracts, filings, notices, and registrations that the law actually requires to make a decision legally binding. The third is contested representation: defending or pursuing a client's interests when a dispute escalates to negotiation, regulatory enforcement, arbitration, or litigation in court.
The clients who hire Criminal Law lawyers range from individuals navigating a single life event to multinational corporations with complex regulatory exposure. What unifies them is the need for an experienced lawyer who knows the relevant code sections, has appeared in the relevant courts, and can translate the strategic options into language a client can act on. AttorneyQnA currently lists 349 verified criminal law attorneys across the United States, each with a public profile showing their bar admissions, years in practice, and the kinds of matters they have handled — with the deepest concentration of practitioners in Texas.
When do you need a Criminal Law attorney?
Most people contact a criminal law lawyer for one of two reasons: something is about to happen that they want done correctly the first time, or something has gone wrong and they need it fixed before it gets worse. The earlier you involve counsel, the more options you usually have, and the lower the cost of getting to a resolution tends to be. The scenarios below are the ones we see most often on AttorneyQnA from prospective clients searching for criminal law representation.
Once your signature is on a contract, settlement, lease, or release, your bargaining leverage drops sharply. A short pre-signature review by a criminal law lawyer is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Cease-and-desist letters, regulatory notices, and demand letters all start clocks. Missing the response window can convert a manageable problem into a default judgment or formal enforcement action.
Statutes of limitations, filing windows, and appeal periods are jurisdictional — courts cannot extend them as a favour. If you can identify a date that matters, you need a lawyer before that date arrives.
The moment opposing counsel appears, the conversation moves out of normal English and into procedural language. Continuing unrepresented usually means losing ground you cannot recover later.
Forming an entity, choosing a venue, structuring a deal, or selecting a remedy each has long-term consequences. A consultation at the planning stage is far cheaper than redoing it after the fact.
Multi-state matters bring conflict-of-laws questions that change which statutes apply and which court has authority. An attorney licensed in the right jurisdiction is not optional.
If any of the situations above describes where you are right now, the next step is a focused consultation. Use the Ask a Lawyer tool for short written questions, or browse the 349 criminal law attorneys listed above to book a paid consultation directly.
How to choose a Criminal Law attorney
The single biggest factor in choosing a criminal law lawyer is fit with your specific matter. A lawyer with twenty years of criminal law experience but no exposure to your particular sub-issue can easily be a worse choice than a five-year associate who has handled the same problem repeatedly. We recommend running every prospective lawyer through the same five-step checklist before signing an engagement letter.
- Bar admission in the correct jurisdiction. Confirm the lawyer is admitted in the state — and where relevant, the federal district — where your matter sits. The lawyer's profile on AttorneyQnA shows every bar admission on file, and the underlying state bar's "lawyer lookup" tool will confirm active standing in under a minute.
- Direct experience with your fact pattern. Ask plainly: "How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and how did they resolve?" An honest answer reveals more than years-in-practice alone.
- A written fee agreement. Whether hourly, flat fee, contingent, or hybrid, the engagement letter should specify what is included, what triggers additional charges, and how disputes are handled. Avoid lawyers who resist writing the terms down.
- Communication cadence. Decide upfront how often you expect updates, who your day-to-day contact will be, and what response time is reasonable. The number-one complaint filed with state bar grievance committees is not malpractice — it is non-communication.
- Conflict check + reputation pulse. Make sure the lawyer has run a formal conflict check, then spend ten minutes reading independent reviews and any public disciplinary history. The state bar's website is authoritative for the second; the lawyer's AttorneyQnA profile collects the first.
Once you have a shortlist, schedule consultations with two or three. Lawyers vary widely in temperament, and the right strategic match for your case is sometimes the second or third lawyer you meet — not the first.
How much does a Criminal Law lawyer cost?
Legal fees in the United States are not regulated by a uniform schedule, so what you pay a criminal law lawyer depends on the billing model the lawyer offers, the complexity of your matter, and the local market. There are four billing structures used in this practice area; most engagements use one, but hybrid arrangements are increasingly common.
1. Hourly billing
The default model for most non-contingent matters. Rates for criminal law attorneys in the U.S. typically range from $150–$250/hour in smaller markets to $400–$700/hour in major metropolitan areas, with senior partners at large firms commanding $900/hour and above. Hourly billing is fairest when the scope of work is genuinely unpredictable, but it creates an incentive structure that the client has to monitor.
2. Flat fee
Increasingly used for well-defined transactions — incorporations, will drafting, single-issue filings, uncontested matters. A flat fee tells you exactly what the deliverable will cost, and the lawyer absorbs the risk of unexpected complexity. Ask whether the flat fee includes filing fees, third-party costs, and any post-filing follow-up.
3. Contingency
Where it is permitted by the rules of professional conduct — most often in plaintiff-side criminal law work involving monetary recovery — the lawyer is paid a percentage of the proceeds, typically 33% before suit is filed and 40% after. The client pays nothing if there is no recovery. Contingency fees align the lawyer's economics with yours, but the percentage compounds across time, so very strong cases sometimes do better on hourly billing.
4. Retainer / subscription
A monthly fee that buys a defined block of access or hours. This is common for businesses with ongoing criminal law needs — contract review, employee questions, regulatory check-ins. A subscription smooths out spending and gives the lawyer a reason to know your operation in depth.
Whichever model you choose, ask for an itemised written estimate before the engagement begins, and ask explicitly what is not covered. Surprise expenses are the most common source of attorney-client friction.
Frequently asked questions about criminal law
How quickly can a criminal law lawyer review my matter?
Most lawyers can schedule an initial consultation within 1–3 business days. Urgent matters — pending deadlines, time-sensitive notices, court-ordered hearings — should be flagged in your first message; many lawyers reserve emergency consultation slots for that reason. If you need a written answer faster, the Ask a Lawyer tool typically returns answers in under 24 hours.
Do I need a criminal law lawyer in my exact city, or anywhere in my state?
Bar admission is the controlling rule: any attorney licensed in your state can represent you in that state's courts and agencies, regardless of which city they're based in. Practical proximity still matters for in-person meetings, local court familiarity, and access to the local bench and bar. For state-level filings and remote-friendly matters, an attorney elsewhere in the same state often works fine.
Will an initial consultation cost me anything?
Many criminal law attorneys offer a free 15- to 30-minute initial consultation; others charge a flat consultation fee that may be credited against the engagement if you hire them. The lawyer's profile lists the consultation policy. Free does not always mean better — a fee-based consultation is sometimes the sign of a lawyer who treats their time, and yours, seriously.
What documents should I bring to the first meeting?
Bring every contract, notice, letter, filing, or written communication connected to the matter; a written timeline of events with dates; the names and contact details of every other party involved; and any deadlines or hearing dates you are already aware of. Even an incomplete file is more useful than a verbal summary alone.
Can I change lawyers if I am not happy with mine?
Yes. Clients can discharge their lawyer at any time, for any reason, by written notice. Your case file belongs to you and must be transferred to your new counsel. Any unpaid fees through the date of discharge remain owed; any unearned advance must be refunded. If you are mid-litigation, the court typically must approve the substitution, but approval is routine.
How long does a typical criminal law matter take?
It depends almost entirely on whether the matter is transactional or contested. A transactional matter — a contract, a filing, a single-step transaction — can resolve in days to weeks. A contested matter — anything involving disputed facts, court intervention, or regulatory action — typically takes months at minimum, and complex cases can run multiple years. Your lawyer should give you a realistic outside estimate at intake.
Are criminal law lawyer fees tax-deductible?
It depends on the nature of the matter and current tax law. Fees connected to producing or collecting taxable income, managing investment property, or operating a business are often deductible; fees for personal matters generally are not. Because rules change, confirm deductibility with a tax professional for the year in which the fees are paid.
What is the difference between criminal law and the related practice areas?
Criminal Law overlaps with several adjacent areas — see the related-practice-area grid below for direct links. Choosing the right lawyer often means picking the one whose primary focus matches the heart of your problem, even if multiple labels could technically apply. When you are unsure, list your situation in your own words to two lawyers from neighbouring areas and ask which one of them is the better fit; honest lawyers will tell you.
Find criminal law attorneys by state
Each state link below opens the criminal law roster for that jurisdiction, with the local statute of limitations, court-system overview, and verified attorneys.
Criminal Law Law Firms
Main Law Firm
Winter Park
Walton Law Firm
San Marcos
Bruner Law Firm
Fort Walton Beach
J&Y Law Firm
Los Angeles
West Law Firm
Charleston
John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston
Criminal Law by State
All states →Find criminal law attorneys in every US state. Each state link opens a hub with verified attorneys, the state filing deadline, and a free attorney match.