Criminal Defense and Car Accident Lawyer for Coral Gables

Criminal defense in Coral Gables

Coral Gables is a city with its own police department at 2151 Salzedo St, Coral Gables, FL 33134, phone 305-442-1600. The department's page tells people to dial 911 for emergencies. A stop or arrest on the expressways, or on the university or hospital grounds that sit inside the city, may involve a different agency, so read the arrest report.

The city is known for strict zoning and Mediterranean Revival architecture, but people are charged here as anywhere. We defend DUI, drug, theft, fraud, battery and license charges, and we speak Spanish.

Jurors in Miami-Dade state court report to one of two courthouses: civil jurors to the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, 20 NW 1st Avenue, and criminal jurors to the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 NW 12th Street. Jury trials are held at those two buildings. The branch courthouses hold hearings and bench (non-jury) trials.

Closest branch courthouse

The closest branch courthouse to Coral Gables is the Coral Gables Branch Courthouse. Details are below. Courts move calendars, so confirm before you go.

Getting to the main courthouses

Five main courthouses handle most Miami-Dade cases. Each card has the court’s address, a Google Maps link that starts from this place, and what the court itself publishes about transit and parking. Tolls apply on several routes.

Miami-Dade courthouse guide: locations, hours and holidays

Police in Coral Gables

Coral Gables has its own police department:

For an emergency, call 911.

Nearby emergency services

In an emergency, call 911.

These are the closest to the center of Coral Gables, measured in a straight line, as listed by official sources on October 27, 2026.

Listed for convenience, not as a ranking or a recommendation. Confirm hours and phone numbers before you go.

Your County Commissioner

This place spans more than one County Commission district. Which one applies depends on the exact address. County Commission page: district maps and offices

This is correct as of November 1, 2026.

Hurricane and flood readiness

In an emergency, call 911.

Parts of Coral Gables fall in storm surge planning Zones A, B, C, E. Check your exact address. County storm surge zone map · Know Your Zone

Flood zones vary property by property. Look up your address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and the county's flood zone map.

FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Miami-Dade flood zone map

Nearby official evacuation routes: US 1 (South Dixie Highway), Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street). Follow official orders and road closures. The county route data was last updated in 2018 and the state map is undated. State evacuation route and zone map (PDF)

Evacuation centers and shelters

The county decides which centers open, and which accept pets, only when an evacuation is ordered, and not every center opens for every storm. Check official announcements, or call 311, before you go. Open evacuation centers map · County hurricane information

Also: the FEMA App, or text SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362. Storm forecasts come from the NOAA National Hurricane Center (storm information, not shelters). County emergency information: 311 in Miami-Dade, 305-468-5900 from outside the county, or 711 for Florida Relay. National Hurricane Center

History

Coral Gables began as a family farm. Reverend Solomon Merrick bought a 160-acre tract west of Coconut Grove sight unseen for $1,100 in 1899 and moved his family there. The Merricks named their home “Coral Gables” and their grapefruit groves the “Coral Gables Plantation.” A cottage addition was built from native coral rock quarried from what would later become Venetian Pool.

George Merrick, who arrived at 13, grew the holdings from 160 acres to 1,600 by 1920. He assembled a team of architects, artists and engineers, and by early 1921 Coral Gables was wholly mapped out on paper; the first lots were sold later that year. When his first $500,000 ran out and banks turned him away, a college friend helped arrange financing for 100 homes.

The city was incorporated on April 29, 1925, and by then building permits had amounted to more than $25 million. It was one of the first planned communities in the country, based on the City Beautiful movement, and is known for strict zoning and Mediterranean Revival architecture. By 1926 it covered 10,000 acres.

Merrick designed a downtown only four blocks wide and over two miles long. The University of Miami was built in 1925 just west of US 1, and its first class of 372 students enrolled in 1926. During World War II many Navy pilots and mechanics were trained and housed in Coral Gables.

The first 24 hours after an arrest

Florida law sets a 24-hour clock after an arrest: the person must be put in front of a judge in that time, in person or by audio-video, unless lawfully released first. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130(a).

Coral Gables Police can be reached at 305-442-1600. You can also run the county jail search on our inmate search page. Keep the full name and date of birth with you.

A simple plan for the first day

1. Share your name only, ask for a lawyer, and then stay silent.
2. You do not have to allow a search. Say so calmly.
3. Put the scene on paper tonight: who, when, which street, which witnesses.
4. Family members: confirm where your person is held, then call us. Someone answers every hour.
5. People who are not citizens should flag it to the lawyer before any offer is discussed.

Where your case is heard

The Coral Gables Branch Court is at 3100 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, Florida 33134, inside the city. The court lists hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and says there is free parking in the lot at the building: enter from Santander Street on the south side, or turn left at University Drive at the light and enter from the north. The court's own directions: from the north, I-95 South to US 1 South, then Bird Road to Ponce de Leon Blvd.; from the south, US 1 North to Ponce de Leon Blvd.

The court's Criminal Division page lists the Coral Gables Branch Court among its County Criminal locations, which handle minor misdemeanors and criminal traffic cases. Felonies are heard by the Circuit Criminal Division at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami, Florida 33125.

Coral Gables Branch Court (court guide)

Car accidents in Coral Gables

A crash on a Coral Gables street is usually worked by Coral Gables Police; on an expressway, another agency may respond. At the scene, get the agency name and report number.

Doctors Hospital's emergency room, 5000 University Dr., Coral Gables, FL 33146, 786-308-3000, is open 24 hours. For urgent care, UHealth Jackson Urgent Care | Coral Gables, 3737 S.W. 8th Street, 305-575-1600, is open Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Injury claims out of Coral Gables crashes are ours to handle, including head and brain injuries. Get examined, take photos, and talk to a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.

Local roads and landmarks

The city's fire department lists four stations: Station 1 at 2151 Salzedo St., Station 2 at 525 South Dixie Highway, Station 3 at 11911 Old Cutler Road and Station 4 at 1345 Sunset Drive. Dial 911 and the dispatcher sends the right unit.

The branch court is on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, and a free circulator trolley started running down that boulevard in November 2003. Miami-Dade Transit says Metrorail runs through Coral Gables.

Getting to us

We do not have a Coral Gables office. Our one office is at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, in University Park / Westchester. We do not publish a drive time because it depends on traffic.

Call or message us on WhatsApp in English or Spanish, any hour, and we can meet you at the Coral Gables branch when a case is set there.

Questions people ask about Coral Gables

Is there a courthouse in Coral Gables?

Yes. The Coral Gables Branch Court is at 3100 Ponce de Leon, with free parking at the building. Felonies are downtown at the Gerstein Justice Building.

Who polices Coral Gables?

Coral Gables Police, 2151 Salzedo St, 305-442-1600. On some roads another agency may arrest, and the arrest report shows which.

Where is the nearest emergency room?

Doctors Hospital ER, 5000 University Dr., is listed as open 24 hours. In an emergency, call 911.

Does Coral Gables have its own fire department?

Yes. Coral Gables Fire Department lists four stations, including Station 2 at 525 South Dixie Highway.

My relative was arrested in Coral Gables. What do I do first?

Check with Coral Gables Police or the jail search on our site for the location, and call us. First appearance has to happen within 24 hours of arrest unless the person is released before then.

Do you have an office in Coral Gables?

No Coral Gables office. We work from Westchester and handle Coral Gables arrests and injury claims.

Where to go next

Our work

• DUI defense
• Domestic violence charges
• Theft charges
• Immigration consequences of a plea
• Traumatic brain injury

Local guides

• Arrest and court process
• Bond hearings
• Miami-Dade arrest trends
• Courthouse guide

Nearby areas we serve

• City of Miami
• West Miami
• South Miami