Areas We Serve
Criminal Defense and Car Accident Lawyer for Palmetto Bay
Palmetto Bay sits on the bay side of South Miami-Dade, and it has an unusual arrangement for policing. Read on for who answers a call, where the nearest court is, and where to find care close to Old Cutler Road.
Palmetto Bay absorbed the old Cutler and East Perrine census areas in 2002, so Perrine is a neighbor and partly part of this village; Cutler Bay lies to the south and Pinecrest to the north. See also Perrine, Pinecrest and Homestead.
Our office is at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, University Park / Westchester. We represent clients arrested or injured in Palmetto Bay.
Criminal defense in Palmetto Bay
Palmetto Bay is a village, but it does not run a police force of its own. It is served by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office through the Palmetto Bay Municipal District station at 9705 E. Hibiscus Street. If a deputy arrests someone on a village street, the case file will carry the Sheriff's name and the report will list a deputy, not a village officer.
Our work for Palmetto Bay families includes DUI arrests, drug and pill charges, family-violence allegations, theft, weapons counts and driving offenses, as well as felony accusations. We keep the process in plain language, in English or Spanish, and we tell clients what each hearing is for before they walk in.
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 Palmetto Bay is the South Dade Justice Center. Details are below. Courts move calendars, so confirm before you go.
South Dade Justice Center
10710 S.W. 211 Street, Miami, Florida 33189
Court Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Parking: Free parking for Courthouse at the rear of Government Complex. Look for red-trimmed entrance.
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.
Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building (state criminal)
1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami, Florida 33125
From Palmetto Bay, the court's directions from the south for the Gerstein Justice Building begin on US-1 and then follow I-95 North to exit 3A and FL-836 West.
Transit: Miami-Dade Transportation & Public Works
Parking: Limited street meters and off-street lot parking
Civil courthouse (circuit and county civil, probate): Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center
20 N.W. 1st Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128
Court Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Civil cases (circuit and county civil) and probate are at the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, 20 N.W. 1st Avenue, downtown, per the Clerk of Courts' location page. The court's own directions: from the north, I-95 South to the exit marked N.W. 8th Street; from the south, US 1 North to I-95 North and the N.W. 8th Street exit. Parking is limited, and the court suggests Metro Bus or Metrorail to Government Center.
Clerk’s office in this building: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Clerk lists Circuit Civil Court, County Court and Probate Court (Suite 6.223) here.
Transit: Metro Bus or Metrorail to Government Center station (court's parking note)
Parking: Limited street and off-street parking. Best bet is taking Metro Bus or the Metrorail and exiting at Government Center station.
Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse (federal)
400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
The Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse is at 400 N Miami Ave in downtown Miami, where the federal court says public parking lots charge fees.
Transit: Metrorail riders: Exit Metrorail Station, Government Center. Take the Inner Loop Metromover to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Station (first stop).
Parking: There are public parking lots (fees charged) within walking distance for all locations.
C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse (federal)
301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
The C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse is at 301 N Miami Ave, across the street from the Ferguson building.
Transit: Metrorail riders: Exit Metrorail Station, Government Center. Take the Inner Loop Metromover to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Station (first stop).
Parking: There are public parking lots (fees charged) within walking distance for all locations.
James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building (federal)
99 N.E. Fourth Street, Miami, FL 33132
The James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building is at 99 N.E. Fourth Street; check which federal building your notice names.
Transit: Metrorail riders: Exit Metrorail Station, Government Center. Take the Inner Loop Metromover to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Station (first stop).
Parking: There are public parking lots (fees charged) within walking distance for all locations.
Miami-Dade courthouse guide: locations, hours and holidays
Police in Palmetto Bay
Palmetto Bay is policed by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office:
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Palmetto Bay Municipal District
9705 East Hibiscus Street, Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
Sheriff’s general line: 305-SHERIFF (305-743-7433)
For an emergency, call 911.
Nearby emergency services
In an emergency, call 911.
These are the closest to the center of Palmetto Bay, measured in a straight line, as listed by official sources on October 27, 2026.
Fire station: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 4 (Coral Reef)
9201 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157
Emergency room: Baptist Health Emergency Care Palmetto Bay (freestanding emergency department)
8750 SW 144 St., Miami, FL 33176
Open 24 hours.
Urgent care: Urgent Care | Palmetto Bay (Baptist Health)
8950 SW 152 St., Ste. 103, Miami, FL 33157
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 50 (Perrine)
9798 E. Hibiscus Street, Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
Emergency room: HCA Florida Cutler Bay Emergency (freestanding ER)
19605 S Dixie Hwy, Cutler Bay, FL 33157
Open 24 hours.
Listed for convenience, not as a ranking or a recommendation. Confirm hours and phone numbers before you go.
Your County Commissioner
District 8: Danielle Cohen Higgins
South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211 Street, Suite 103, Cutler Bay, FL 33189
This is correct as of November 1, 2026.
Hurricane and flood readiness
In an emergency, call 911.
Parts of Palmetto Bay fall in storm surge planning Zones A, B, 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.
Nearby official evacuation routes: US 1 (South Dixie Highway), Quail Roost Drive. 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
Palmetto Bay is one of the worst-hit places of Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, when many homes and businesses were destroyed. Where the wood-frame houses had fallen, the rebuilt homes were made with concrete walls. The village still counts as one of the areas that remember that storm most clearly.
The village was formed on September 10, 2002, from the territory of the old Cutler and East Perrine census-designated places. Before that, the Cutler area had held the Burger King headquarters campus, which moved to its current home in unincorporated Miami-Dade in July and August 2002.
The shoreline gave the place two landmarks that outlast the storm: the Charles Deering Estate on Old Cutler Road, where Deering lived until his death in 1927, and Thalatta Estate Park, a Mediterranean Revival house built in 1926 and kept as a park by the village.
The first 24 hours after an arrest
When someone is arrested, Florida law calls for a judge to see them within 24 hours, either in person or by audio-video, unless a lawful release already happened. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130(a). The hearing is the first moment the judge hears the charge and addresses release.
Relatives can reach the Palmetto Bay Municipal District at 305-278-4000, the number listed on the Sheriff's page. Our inmate search page lists the county jail roster as well. Keep the legal name and birth date at hand.
Immediate steps for a family
- Stay calm, keep answers minimal, and say clearly that you want a lawyer.
- Do not hand over a passcode or sign a statement before getting advice.
- Save details: deputies' names, the street, the time and any camera nearby.
- Family members: pin down the jail or station first, then call us whenever it is.
- Tell the lawyer right away if the arrested person is not a U.S. citizen, before a plea is considered.
Where your case is heard
The closest branch courthouse on the court's list is the South Dade Justice Center, 10710 S.W. 211 Street, Miami, Florida 33189, in the southeast corner of the Government Complex. Court hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and parking is free at the rear of the complex; look for the red-trimmed entrance, the court says.
The court lists the South Dade Justice Center 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.
South Dade Justice Center (court guide)
Car accidents in Palmetto Bay
A collision on Old Cutler Road or US 1 inside Palmetto Bay is likely to be worked by a Sheriff's deputy. Request the report number and the deputy's name before you leave, and keep that card.
Baptist Health Emergency Care Palmetto Bay, 8750 SW 144 St., is a freestanding emergency room listed as open 24 hours, and Baptist Health Urgent Care is at 8950 SW 152 St. (details below). Take pictures of the vehicles and your injuries, and let us deal with insurance adjusters rather than recording a statement.
We represent people hurt in Palmetto Bay crashes, including serious head and brain injuries, and we move quickly when a commercial vehicle is involved.
Local roads and landmarks
Hibiscus Street is a handy landmark: the Sheriff's Palmetto Bay district station is at 9705 E. Hibiscus Street and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Perrine Station 50 is at 9798 E. Hibiscus Street, almost across from each other.
Station 4, Coral Reef, at 9201 SW 152nd Street also serves this part of the county. For a hospital-style facility close by, the freestanding ER on SW 144 Street is the one listed above.
Getting to us
Our one office is at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, in University Park / Westchester. We have no Palmetto Bay office and we avoid quoting drive times, which depend on traffic along US 1.
Phone or WhatsApp us at any hour, in English or Spanish. Arrest cases often begin with a call from a spouse or parent, and we plan the next step together.
Questions people ask about Palmetto Bay
- Who polices Palmetto Bay?
- The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, through the Palmetto Bay Municipal District, 9705 E. Hibiscus Street, phone 305-278-4000. Other agencies can respond on state roads.
- Is Palmetto Bay a city?
- It is an incorporated village. It took in the former Cutler and East Perrine census areas when it incorporated on September 10, 2002.
- Where is the nearest courthouse to Palmetto Bay?
- The South Dade Justice Center, 10710 S.W. 211 Street, is the closest branch on the court's list. Felonies go downtown to the Gerstein Justice Building. Your paperwork shows the hearing location.
- Where is the closest ER?
- Baptist Health Emergency Care Palmetto Bay, 8750 SW 144 St., 786-595-1850, and HCA Florida Cutler Bay Emergency, 19605 S Dixie Hwy, Cutler Bay, both list 24-hour care. Call 911 in an emergency.
- How is Palmetto Bay different from Perrine?
- Perrine is a former community that was split into East and West census areas; East Perrine became part of Palmetto Bay in 2002. See our Perrine page too.
- Do you have an office in Palmetto Bay?
- No. We have one office, in University Park / Westchester, and we represent clients arrested or injured in Palmetto Bay.
Where to go next
Our work
- DUI defense
- Drug charges
- Theft charges
- Immigration consequences of a plea
- Personal injury and car accidents