Areas We Serve
Criminal Defense and Car Accident Lawyer for University Park
University Park is the neighborhood around the FIU main campus in west Miami-Dade. If trouble finds you or a family member here, these pages tell you who responds, where the courts are and how to get there.
University Park is a census place that touches Westchester and the FIU area, and Sweetwater sits close by; its boundary is not the same as postal city names. See also Westchester, Sweetwater, Kendall and Olympia Heights.
Our office is at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, University Park / Westchester. We represent clients arrested or injured in University Park.
Criminal defense in University Park
University Park is a census-designated place with no city hall or police force of its own. Calls here are answered by county or neighboring agencies, and the Sheriff's Kendall District Station at 7707 SW 117th Avenue is the closest district station by distance. The arrest paperwork names the agency that actually made the stop.
Students, workers and families all live and drive around this area, and the charges that come out of it are familiar: DUI, marijuana and other drug counts, fights, retail theft, and traffic crimes such as driving with a suspended license. We take on serious felonies too. Spanish and English are both used here every day, and so are they in our office.
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 University Park is the Coral Gables Branch Courthouse. Details are below. Courts move calendars, so confirm before you go.
Coral Gables Branch Courthouse
3100 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, Florida 33134
Court Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Parking: Free parking in lot at building.
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 University Park, a driver would take FL-836 East, the Dolphin Expressway; the court's page for the Gerstein Justice Building says drivers already on FL-836 can use the N.W. 17th Avenue exit.
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 downtown at 400 N Miami Ave, and the court says public lots with fees are within walking distance.
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, just 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 the building named in your notice.
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 University Park
University Park is not a city. It is an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, policed by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
In the University Park area, the closest station is:
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Kendall Station
7707 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL 33183
Sheriff’s general line: 305-SHERIFF (305-743-7433)
The closest Sheriff’s district station to the center of the area, measured in a straight line. The district that patrols a given street can differ.
For an emergency, call 911.
Nearby emergency services
In an emergency, call 911.
These are the closest to the center of University Park, measured in a straight line, as listed by official sources on October 27, 2026.
Fire station: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 47 (Westchester)
9361 SW 24th Street, Miami, FL 33165
Emergency room: HCA Florida Kendall Hospital ER
11750 SW 40th St, Miami, FL 33175
Open 24 hours.
Urgent care: MD Now Urgent Care - West Flagler
9971 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33174
Urgent care: Urgent Care | West Kendall (Baptist Health)
13001 North Kendall Dr., Ste. 100, Miami, FL 33186
Hours: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily (per page hours table)
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
District 10: Anthony Rodriguez
Share of this place in the district: 88.0%
7146 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL 33183
District 11: Roberto J. Gonzalez
Share of this place in the district: 12.0%
12781 SW 42nd Street, Unit E-F, Miami, FL 33175
This is correct as of November 1, 2026.
Hurricane and flood readiness
In an emergency, call 911.
Parts of University Park fall in storm surge planning Zones D, 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.
Nearby official evacuation routes: Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street), Florida's Turnpike. 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
University Park takes its name from the main campus of Florida International University, once called University Park and now the Modesto A. Maidique Campus. FIU was built from around 1965 onward on land that had held Tamiami Airport. Very little stood around the campus then, so the campus name stuck to the surrounding area as Miami grew west.
The airport occupied the land until 1969. Aerial photographs into the early 1990s still showed the airport's outline on the ground, but construction has erased those marks, and only the University Tower remains as a reminder of the campus's early days.
The first 24 hours after an arrest
The law gives an arrested person a hearing in front of a judge within 24 hours, in person or through a video link, unless release already happened lawfully. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130(a). This hearing, called first appearance, is where the judge states the charge and takes up release terms.
A family searching for someone arrested near campus can call the Kendall District Station at 305-279-6929 or check the county jail roster through our own inmate search. Bring the full name and birth date to the call.
What to do right away
- Stay courteous and say little. Identify yourself, then request an attorney.
- Do not consent to a phone search or sign a statement without advice first.
- Record the time, place, officers and any witnesses as soon as you can.
- If you are a relative, find the jail first, then call us day or night.
- Non-citizens should tell the lawyer before any plea talk begins, since a minor-looking outcome can still affect immigration status.
Where your case is heard
The closest branch courthouse on the court's list 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 parking in the lot at the building is free, according to the court.
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 University Park
A collision on the roads around campus may be handled by the Sheriff's Office or a neighboring agency. Ask for the report number and the agency name before you leave the scene.
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital's emergency room, 11750 SW 40th St., is listed as open 24/7 (see below). Take pictures of everything, including the signal, the lane and your injuries, and keep the insurance adjuster's recorded statement for after you have heard from us.
We pursue injury claims from University Park crashes, including serious head injuries. If a commercial vehicle was involved, tell us at once so its records can be protected.
Local roads and landmarks
The Dolphin Expressway, FL-836, runs along the north side of this area, and the state court's published directions use it. The Gerstein Justice Building has its own exit at N.W. 17th Avenue for drivers already on FL-836.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 47 in Westchester, 9361 SW 24th Street, is the closest county fire station by distance. For patients, the HCA Florida Kendall emergency room is the hospital named below.
Getting to us
Our one office is here, at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, on Bird Road in University Park / Westchester. We do not publish drive times.
Start by phone or WhatsApp, any hour, in English or Spanish. A parent or spouse can call while the client is still being booked.
Questions people ask about University Park
- Is University Park its own city?
- No. It is a census-designated place, not a municipality. The name comes from the FIU main campus that stood here when the area filled in.
- Which police agency is nearest to University Park?
- By distance, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Kendall District Station, 7707 SW 117th Avenue, 305-279-6929. Check your report to see which agency made the arrest.
- Where is the closest courthouse?
- The Coral Gables Branch Courthouse is the closest branch on the court's list. Felonies are heard downtown at the Gerstein Justice Building. Your paperwork shows the hearing location.
- Does University Park border Westchester?
- Yes. Its edges touch Westchester and the FIU area, and mailing cities do not always match the census boundary. Look at your actual address and the report.
- Where is the nearest ER?
- HCA Florida Kendall Hospital ER, 11750 SW 40th St., phone 305-223-3000, is listed as 24/7. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
- Do you have an office in University Park?
- Yes. Our one office is at 11401 SW 40 St, Suite 250, on Bird Road. The Census counted this spot in University Park in 2010 and in Westchester in 2020, so we call it University Park / Westchester.
Where to go next
Our work
- DUI defense
- Drug charges
- Domestic violence charges
- Immigration consequences of a plea
- Personal injury and car accidents