Best Detroit Criminal Defense Attorneys

Criminal defense lawyers in Detroit spend most of their time on drug, gun, and assault charges. The rest of the work runs across drunk driving, retail fraud, domestic violence, and federal indictments. Once a case opens, the attorney pulls the police report, tests the stop, and looks for evidence to suppress. The aim is a dismissal, a reduced charge, or a sentence that keeps a client working. Most firms review a case for free.

Listed Detroit Criminal Defense Lawyers are ranked by one score, applied the same way to every firm. It draws on public signals, including:

  • Client satisfaction and overall online reputation
  • The volume and consistency of client feedback
  • How established the firm is
  • Peer recognition within the legal community and across the web

Ranked listings are ordered by our independent score. Featured listings are paid placements shown separately. See how we rank law firms.

Leading Detroit Criminal Lawyers for Felony, DUI & Federal Charges

Screenshot of the Davis Law Group PLLC Website
615 Griswold St Ste 719, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

Davis Law Group is led by Maurice Davis, a criminal defense attorney in Detroit with more than 20 years of practice.

The firm handles OWI and DUI charges, drug and marijuana cases, firearms offenses, theft, fraud, sex crimes, and violent felonies. Expungement work is also part of the practice.

Reported results include a felony firearm charge reduced for a Detroit man and an assault charge dismissed in Wayne County. Consultations are free and the phone is answered around the clock. Offices in Southfield, Flint, and Port Huron cover the rest of Southeast Michigan.

Screenshot of the Grabel & Associates Website
202 E Washington St Ste 407, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA

Grabel & Associates is one of the few Michigan firms that take criminal cases only, statewide and in Detroit-area courts.

Scott Grabel founded the practice in 1999, and its attorneys carry more than 100 years of combined experience. The firm reports a 97% success rate on driver's license restoration and has won reversals at the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Screenshot of the The David J. Kramer Law Firm, PLLC Website
42400 Grand River Ave, Suite 109, Novi, MI 48375, USA

David J. Kramer has defended people in Southeast Michigan since 1992, working out of Novi and a downtown Detroit office on Griswold Street.

His practice covers felony and misdemeanor charges, including criminal sexual conduct, domestic violence, drug crimes, drunk driving, assault, and retail fraud. Federal matters such as mail fraud, health care fraud, and obstruction of justice are also handled here.

Kramer takes cases across Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties, and he has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers. Family law rounds out the practice. The first consultation costs nothing.

Screenshot of the George Law Website
444 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

George Law is a Royal Oak firm that pairs criminal defense with business and civil litigation.

Derrick and Maggie George represent people facing misdemeanors, felonies, drug charges, gun charges, and federal indictments. The team also handles OWI defense, driver's license restoration, and Michigan expungements.

Both partners appear regularly in Oakland and Wayne County courts, and clients have left more than 500 five-star Google reviews. A second Michigan office sits in Birmingham, with additional locations in South Florida. Phones are staffed at any hour.

Screenshot of the Boria Law - Criminal Defense Attorney Website

Aaron J. Boria takes cases to a jury when other lawyers would push a client toward a plea.

From his Plymouth office, he defends drunk driving, assault and domestic violence, drug possession, retail fraud, gun charges, and traffic offenses. Driver's license restoration is a strength, with a success rate close to 100% for revoked licenses.

Attorney Boria appears often in district courts across Wayne and Oakland counties, including Livonia, Westland, Plymouth, and Novi. He has been listed in DBusiness Top Lawyers since 2019.

Screenshot of the Law Office of Julian J. Poota, PLLC Website
26555 Evergreen Rd #1220, Southfield, MI 48076, USA

Julian J. Poota has practiced criminal law in Michigan for more than 20 years, with a Southfield office that serves Metro Detroit.

He takes misdemeanors and felonies alike, from assault and weapons charges to drug crimes, retail fraud, embezzlement, and computer offenses. Clients under investigation can bring him in before a warrant is issued.

Past outcomes include a not-guilty jury verdict on domestic violence and a concealed weapon charge dismissed after the preliminary exam.

Screenshot of the Kirsch Daskas Law Group PLLC Website
3883 Telegraph Rd Suite 105, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, USA

Former prosecutor Lisa Kirsch Satawa leads Kirsch Daskas Law Group, a Bloomfield Hills practice with a Detroit office on Adelaide Street.

The firm concentrates on the hardest allegations: child abuse, criminal sexual conduct, sexting and image-sharing cases, firearms, homicide, and self-defense claims. Education law and expungement matters are handled as well.

Satawa has appeared on the Michigan Super Lawyers list since 2009 and among Michigan's Top 50 Women Lawyers since 2014. Consultations are free.

Screenshot of the Jonathan Jones, Attorney at Law, PLLC Website

Jonathan Jones is a Royal Oak defense lawyer who has handled criminal matters exclusively since 1995.

His work spans sex crimes, violent offenses, homicide, fraud, drug charges, weapons violations, cybercrimes, and juvenile cases at the state and federal level. Clients reach him directly by phone or text rather than through staff.

Jones was named to the 2024 Michigan Super Lawyers list and takes cases across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Monroe counties.

Screenshot of the Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates, PLLC Website

Kevin Bessant has spent more than 20 years in Michigan courtrooms, with a downtown office on Library Street.

His firm handles bond hearings, felony and misdemeanor charges, drug possession and sales, gun charges, probation violations, and record expungement. Case evaluations are free, even for people already in custody.

Bessant has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers every year since 2015. Eastpointe and Southfield offices serve clients outside the city.

Screenshot of the Federal Criminal Attorneys of Michigan Website

Sanford A. Schulman has filed or appeared in federal court more than 5,000 times across a 35-year career.

His Detroit firm, based in the Guardian Building, defends drug conspiracy, RICO, weapons, white-collar, homicide, and child exploitation charges. He has argued in the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit, and the Michigan Supreme Court.

Two of his cases drew writs of certiorari from the United States Supreme Court, one of them decided 9-0 in his favor.

Screenshot of the Ellen K. Michaels and Associates, PLLC Website
500 Griswold St # 2340, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

Ellen K. Michaels is a criminal defense lawyer in Detroit whose case list runs to first-degree murder, criminal sexual conduct, and felony firearm charges.

Reported outcomes include murder counts dismissed at the preliminary exam and not-guilty verdicts on assault with intent to murder. She also defends drug, domestic violence, gun, fraud, and white-collar cases.

Michaels steps in during police investigations, before any charge is filed, for clients across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Monroe counties.

Screenshot of the The Bennett Law Firm, PLC Website
25600 Woodward Ave #214, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

Samuel Bennett runs a Royal Oak practice built around close contact with clients and their families.

He defends drunk driving, drug delivery and possession, assaultive crimes, juvenile matters, theft, and sex offenses, and he files expungements and SORA removals.

Super Lawyers named Bennett a Rising Star three years running, and past clients have left more than 100 five-star reviews. Case reviews cost nothing.

Screenshot of the Bajoka Law Group PLLC Website
500 Griswold St Suite 1630, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

Edward Bajoka wrote the LexisNexis Practice Guide on Michigan criminal law, and he defends federal cases from the Guardian Building.

His caseload leans toward conspiracy and RICO, health care fraud, public corruption, and drug trafficking. Immigration crimes, denaturalization, and removal defense are handled as well. Consultations are free and confidential.

Screenshot of the Michael A. Rataj, PC Website
500 Griswold St #2450, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

Michael A. Rataj has been involved in more than 100 criminal trials since opening his Detroit practice in 1989.

A Marine Corps veteran and Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, he now defends federal drug, RICO, health care fraud, and white-collar charges.

Screenshot of the William W. Swor, PC Website
Guardian Building, 500 Griswold St #2450, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

William W. Swor is a Detroit trial attorney with more than five decades of state and federal defense work behind him.

A past president of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, he tried the first post-9/11 terrorism case in the country and still handles appeals.

Screenshot of the Jeffrey G Schwartz Offices Website
400 Monroe St # 490, Detroit, MI 48226, USA

Jeffrey G. Schwartz worked as a Wayne County prosecutor on major felony assignments before opening his own office in 1986.

He defends murder, armed robbery, criminal sexual conduct, drug, and drunk driving charges, and he also takes juvenile court matters. A Southfield office serves Oakland County.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a criminal defense lawyer in Detroit cost?

Usually a flat fee. Most defense attorneys quote one price for a misdemeanor and a higher one for a felony. Trial work often costs extra and is billed separately. Payment plans are common, and many offices take cards.

Which court will my case go to?

It depends on the charge. Misdemeanors and city cases stay in the 36th District Court on Madison Avenue. Felonies start there for arraignment and the preliminary exam, then move to the Third Judicial Circuit Court. That criminal division now sits in the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center on Russell Street.

How long does a Detroit criminal case take?

Months, not weeks. A misdemeanor can wrap up in two or three months. A felony that goes through exam, motions, and trial often runs six months to a year or more. Federal cases in the Eastern District of Michigan usually take longer.

How long do prosecutors have to file charges?

Six years for most offenses. MCL 767.24 sets a six-year limit on most felonies and misdemeanors. Kidnapping, armed robbery, and second-, third-, and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct carry ten years. Murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, terrorism, and solicitation to commit murder have no limit at all.

Should I just use a public defender?

It depends on your finances. If you cannot afford counsel, the court appoints a lawyer and that protects your rights. Appointed attorneys in Wayne County carry heavy caseloads. A retained lawyer usually has more time for investigation and motion work.

Can I get the charge off my record later?

Often, yes. Michigan's Clean Slate law lets many people petition to set aside convictions, including one first-offense OWI. Since April 2023 the state has also erased eligible records automatically. Misdemeanors clear after seven years and eligible felonies after ten, with assaultive and serious offenses excluded.

What if I am young and this is a first offense?

Ask about HYTA. The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act lets a judge accept a plea without entering a conviction for young adults under 26. Anyone 21 or older needs the prosecutor to agree. Life offenses, major drug charges, and traffic offenses are not eligible.

Types of Criminal Cases Detroit Lawyers Handle

Drug charges. Possession, delivery, and manufacturing cases move through both Wayne County courts and federal court. How police found the drugs matters more than most people expect. A bad search can end the case before trial.

Gun and weapons charges. Felony firearm carries a mandatory prison term that runs on top of the underlying sentence. Carrying a concealed weapon and felon in possession are also charged often in Detroit. Defense work here usually centers on the stop and the search.

OWI and drunk driving. Michigan treats 0.08 as the legal limit and 0.17 as High BAC, with much steeper penalties. A third offense is a felony no matter how old the priors are. Breath and blood testing is a frequent line of attack.

Assault and domestic violence. Police often arrest after hearing one side of a story. These cases turn on witness credibility and the physical evidence. First offenses sometimes qualify for a deferral that keeps the record clean.

Theft and retail fraud. Shoplifting, larceny, and embezzlement charges are graded by dollar value. The line between a misdemeanor and a felony can come down to a receipt. Restitution often shapes the outcome.

Sex crimes. Criminal sexual conduct charges carry registry consequences that outlast any sentence. Forensic interviews and medical reports get close scrutiny. These cases are rarely resolved quickly.

White-collar and fraud cases. Healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and public corruption charges are common in Detroit's federal court. The evidence is usually documents rather than testimony. Early defense work can sometimes prevent an indictment.

Federal charges. Drug conspiracy, RICO, and firearms cases land in the Theodore Levin courthouse downtown. Federal sentencing guidelines work very differently from state law. Not every state-court attorney takes these cases.

How to Choose a Criminal Lawyer in Detroit

Match the lawyer to the court. Someone who works the 36th District Court daily knows its judges and its pace. A federal indictment needs a lawyer admitted in the Eastern District.

Ask how many cases they take to trial. Plenty of lawyers resolve almost everything by plea. Prosecutors negotiate differently with attorneys who actually try cases.

Check whether they handle your charge type. Some offices avoid sex crimes or homicide. Others do nothing but drunk driving. Ask directly.

Get the fee in writing. Find out what the quoted price covers and what happens if the case goes to trial. Expert witnesses and investigators are usually billed on top.

Ask who will actually appear. In larger firms, the lawyer you meet is not always the one in court. Get a name.

What Outcomes Are Realistic in a Detroit Criminal Case

Outcomes turn on the evidence, the charge, and your record. Clean records open the door to deferrals, HYTA, and diversion programs that avoid a conviction entirely. Charges are often reduced rather than dropped, which lowers the sentence and the long-term damage. Suppression motions can end a case outright when a stop or search was unlawful. No attorney can promise a result, and anyone who does is worth walking away from.

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