Criminal Defense and Car Accident Lawyer for Kendall

Criminal defense in Kendall

Kendall is a census place, not a city with its own mayor or police chief. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office runs a Kendall District Station at 7707 SW 117th Avenue, and that is the closest district station to the middle of Kendall. Which agency actually made an arrest depends on the exact spot, so read the arrest report: it names the agency and gives the charge.

We defend people charged out of Kendall with DUI, drug possession, domestic violence allegations, theft, weapons counts and driving on a suspended license, along with serious felonies. English and Spanish are both everyday languages in this part of the county. Tell us what happened in the one you are most comfortable in, and we answer in the same one.

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 Kendall 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 Kendall

Kendall is not a city. It is an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, policed by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

In the Kendall area, the closest station is:

For an emergency, call 911.

Nearby emergency services

In an emergency, call 911.

These are the closest to the center of Kendall, 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 Kendall fall in storm surge planning Zones C, D. 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), Florida's Turnpike, Kendall Drive (SW 88th Street), Don Shula Expressway (SR 874). 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

Most of the ground that is now Kendall was bought from the State of Florida in 1883 by the Florida Land and Mortgage Company. The place carries the name of Henry John Broughton Kendall, a director of that company who moved to the area in the 1900s to manage its land.

Growth came slowly. The land was not open to homesteading, so development dragged well into the twentieth century. A post office opened in 1914 and the first school in 1929. When the land boom ended in 1926, some residents left. Two Seminole camps stood in the Kendall area, and Seminoles continued to live there into the 1940s.

In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew severely damaged Kendall and the surrounding South Dade area, destroying many homes and businesses. The area was rebuilt slowly over the following years.

The first 24 hours after an arrest

After an arrest, a judge must see the person within 24 hours, in the courtroom or by video, unless the person was lawfully released first. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130(a). That first appearance is where the charge is read out and the question of release gets raised, so the first day carries real weight.

To locate someone held after a Kendall arrest, the Sheriff's Office lists 305-279-6929 for the Kendall District Station. You can also run the name through the jail roster on our inmate search page. Keep the full legal name and date of birth in front of you when you call.

The first 24 hours, step by step

1. Keep your answers short and calm. Give your name, then ask for a lawyer.
2. Decline a search or a written statement until you have spoken with counsel.
3. Write down names, badge numbers, times and cross streets while memory is fresh.
4. Relatives: work out where the person is being held, then phone us at any hour.
5. If the arrested person is not a citizen, tell us before any plea is discussed. A light-looking deal can still trigger immigration trouble.

Where your case is heard

The closest branch courthouse on the court's list for the northeast side of Kendall is the Coral Gables Branch Courthouse, 3100 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, Florida 33134. The court's hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the court says parking in the lot at the building is free. For the far south end of Kendall, the South Dade Justice Center at 10710 S.W. 211 Street can be the nearer door.

The court lists the Coral Gables Branch Court as one of its County Criminal locations, for misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases, but a case can be set at any county court location, so go by your paperwork. Felony cases are heard by the Circuit Criminal Division, whose judges sit at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami.

Coral Gables Branch Courthouse (court guide)

Car accidents in Kendall

A crash on a Kendall street may be worked by the Sheriff's Office or by a municipal department if the road sits near a city line. At the scene, ask for the report number and write down the agency printed on the card the officer gives you.

Two hospital emergency rooms sit near Kendall: Baptist Hospital's ER on North Kendall Drive and the HCA Florida Kendall Hospital ER on SW 40th Street, both open around the clock (listed below). Photograph the vehicles, the lanes and any marks on your body. Hold off on a recorded statement to any insurer until you have spoken with us.

We handle injury claims from Kendall collisions, including head and brain injuries. If a work truck or delivery van was involved, call early so the vehicle and the driver's records can be preserved.

Local roads and landmarks

Dadeland is the Kendall landmark most people already know. Miami-Dade Transit describes the Metrorail Green Line as running from Palmetto down to Dadeland South, its southernmost station, which makes Dadeland a practical transfer point for court days.

The Sheriff's Kendall District Station on SW 117th Avenue and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 9 at 7777 SW 117th Avenue are close neighbors, a handy pair of addresses to remember if you need to report a crash or ask about a response.

Getting to us

We have one office, in University Park / Westchester, at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250. We have no Kendall office, and we do not post a drive time because it changes with the hour and the traffic.

You do not have to come to us first. Call or write on WhatsApp at any hour, in English or Spanish. After an arrest we often begin by phone with the family and meet at the courthouse.

Questions people ask about Kendall

Is Kendall a city?

No. Kendall is a census-designated place, and the Census Bureau's boundary is not the same as what many neighbors call Kendall. Your arrest report or crash report shows the agency that handled it.

Which police station is closest in Kendall?

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Kendall District Station, 7707 SW 117th Avenue, phone 305-279-6929, is the closest district station to the middle of Kendall. Confirm which agency covers your exact address.

Where is the nearest courthouse to Kendall?

The court lists the Coral Gables Branch Courthouse and the South Dade Justice Center as branch locations. Felonies go to the Gerstein Justice Building downtown. Your paperwork shows where your hearing is.

My relative was arrested in Kendall. What do I do first?

Find out where the person is held, using our inmate search or the Kendall District Station line, 305-279-6929. Then call us. A judge must see the person within 24 hours unless they were already released.

Which ER should I use after a Kendall crash?

Baptist Hospital's ER (8900 North Kendall Dr.) and HCA Florida Kendall Hospital's ER (11750 SW 40th St.) are both listed as open 24 hours. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Do you have an office in Kendall?

No. We have one office, in University Park / Westchester. We represent clients arrested or injured in Kendall and can start by phone or WhatsApp.

Where to go next

Our work

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

Local guides

• Bond hearings
• Florida DUI arrest: the 10-day license deadline
• Miami-Dade arrest trends
• Daily arrests in Florida

Nearby areas we serve

• Pinecrest
• South Miami
• University Park
• Olympia Heights
• Westchester