Criminal Defense Attorney in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Understanding Criminal Defense

A real defense is not a single argument made on trial day. It starts the moment you are charged and runs through every stage that follows: the first appearance, discovery, depositions, motions to suppress, plea negotiations, and, if needed, trial in front of a Broward County jury. At each stage, the defense attorney’s job is to force the State to prove every element of its case, expose every weakness in the evidence, and protect your constitutional rights from the first police contact through the final disposition.

Day to day, that means doing the unglamorous work: reading every page of the police report and discovery, reviewing body camera footage, pulling 911 calls, taking depositions of officers and civilian witnesses, and filing the motions that need to be filed. This work can uncover issues that inform negotiations, motion practice, or trial defenses, depending on the facts.

That is the role Jose Paez plays for clients across Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. Most clients come to Paez Defense with no prior criminal record. A parent caught in the middle of a co-parenting fight that turned into a domestic violence accusation. A college student who made one mistake at a bar. Someone who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. You are not a “career criminal,” and the firm does not treat you like one. You are someone who needs a defense attorney prepared to fight for you, and that is what Paez Defense works to provide.

Why Getting a Criminal Defense Attorney Early Matters

In many cases, law enforcement and prosecutors continue evaluating the evidence immediately after an arrest, so early representation can matter. Witnesses are interviewed. Statements you may have made are reduced to writing. Officers complete their reports. By the time many people start looking for an attorney, decisions have already been made that shape the entire case. Hiring counsel early means an attorney is involved before the State’s narrative hardens. It means someone is reviewing the police report for problems, examining the constitutional issues, and protecting you from saying or doing anything that makes the case worse. If you have been charged or are under investigation in Broward County, the time to call is now, not later.

What Criminal Defense Covers

Paez Defense handles a wide range of criminal charges in Broward County, from first-time misdemeanors to serious felonies. Below are the main practice clusters we handle.

Delitos relacionados con las drogas

Florida treats drug offenses harshly. Simple possession can carry penalties that may include jail time, fines, and a criminal record. Florida drug-trafficking charges can involve severe mandatory minimum sentencing exposure, which may limit judicial discretion. The State often relies on traffic stops, search warrants, and confidential informants, and those issues may raise constitutional questions that should be reviewed. Drug cases may present search, seizure, and proof issues that can be important to examine closely.

Learn more: Drug Crimes Defense in Fort Lauderdale

Delitos violentos

Charges like aggravated assault, aggravated battery, attempted murder, and armed robbery can carry serious consequences under Florida law, including mandatory minimum sentencing exposure in certain firearm-related cases. As a former felony prosecutor who handled cases at this level from the State’s side, Jose Paez understands how prosecutors commonly build violent crime cases and where those cases may be vulnerable, including witness credibility issues, self-defense claims, and Stand Your Ground arguments.

Learn more: Violent Crimes Defense

Delitos de Violencia Doméstica

Many domestic violence cases in Broward County do not look the way people assume. They start during a divorce, a custody fight, or an argument that got out of hand. Once law enforcement gets involved, the case may no longer be in the accuser’s control. Prosecutors decide whether to move forward, and an arrest can lead to a no-contact order that may affect where you live, who you can contact, and whether you can see your children. Defending these cases means working with the facts, the relationship history, and the credibility of the underlying claim, with the goal of protecting your freedom, your record, and your family relationships where possible.

Learn more: Defensa Contra Violencia Doméstica

Property and Theft Crimes

Theft charges range from petit theft and shoplifting to grand theft, burglary, and dealing in stolen property. The dollar amount alleged is what often pushes a case from misdemeanor to felony, and that amount is not always what the State claims it is. Identification issues, intent, and ownership questions can all affect how the case is evaluated. Paez Defense handles theft and property crime cases at many levels in Broward County courts.

Learn more: Property and Theft Crimes Defense

Cargos por armas

Florida imposes severe penalties in many firearm-related felony cases, including mandatory minimum sentences in certain circumstances. Charges like carrying a concealed firearm without a license, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and using a firearm during the commission of certain felonies can carry serious penalties, including mandatory minimum sentencing exposure in some cases. The defense often turns on how the firearm was found, whether the stop or search was lawful, and what the State can actually prove about possession.

Learn more: Gun and Weapons Charges Defense

Probation Violations

A violation of probation is not handled like a new criminal case. Violation-of-probation proceedings are decided by a judge rather than a jury, and the State’s burden is lower than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That makes representation at a VOP hearing critically important. Whether the alleged violation is a new arrest, a missed drug test, or a missed report date, Paez Defense works to challenge the alleged violation, present mitigation, and pursue options that may reduce the risk of jail or other penalties.

Why Hire Jose Paez

When you are looking for a criminal defense attorney, the credentials on the website matter less than what those credentials actually do for your case. Here is what Jose Paez’s background means for you.

His experience as a former prosecutor can help him anticipate common prosecutorial strategies.

Jose spent years as a felony prosecutor at the Broward State Attorney’s Office, handling cases up to Attempted First Degree Murder and training newer prosecutors on how to build them. For clients, that background may help inform how the defense evaluates the State’s evidence and strategy.

He is a trial attorney, which allows him to negotiate from a position of genuine trial readiness.

In Broward County, a defense lawyer’s trial readiness can affect how a case is evaluated during negotiations, though every offer depends on the facts, evidence, prosecutor, and charge involved. Jose’s 2021 Hat Trick Award for three consecutive not guilty verdicts reflects his trial experience, though past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes.

Other defense lawyers send him their own people.

Many clients come to the firm through referrals from other criminal defense attorneys, including referrals involving people close to them. Some clients consider attorney referrals to be one factor when evaluating counsel.

He can explain your case to you in your own language.

Jose is a Spanish-speaking criminal defense attorney serving clients across Broward County, including Weston, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, and surrounding communities. Decisions about your life should not depend on a translation.

He treats first-time defendants like first-time defendants.

Many clients at Paez Defense have never been arrested before, and the legal system assumes you already know how it works when you do not. Jose explains every step in plain language so you know what is happening at every court date, not weeks later from a court docket.

He is held to the standard he helps set.

Jose is a three-time published author in the Broward Bar’s Barrister magazine, a former Executive Board Member of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and a current member of its board.

For more on Jose’s background and the firm’s history, visit the Sobre nosotros page.

What to Expect from Our Criminal Defense Services

Every case is different, but the process generally follows the same path. Here is what working with Paez Defense looks like.

Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation

The first conversation is free and confidential, but it does not create an attorney-client relationship unless the firm agrees to representation in writing. You can call or text (954) 266-8687 or use the contact form to reach the office directly. During the consultation, Jose may ask about what happened, what you have been charged with, what you have already said to the police, and what evidence may exist so far. The goal is to give you a clear-eyed read on where the case stands, what possible outcomes may look like, and what defense strategy may make sense if the firm takes the case.

Investigación y descubrimiento

If you retain the firm, the next phase is requesting and reviewing the State’s discovery. Police reports, body camera and dash camera footage, 911 calls, witness statements, lab results, and physical evidence may be requested and reviewed in detail, depending on the case. This is often the stage where important weaknesses in a case are found, including constitutional problems with stops, searches, or arrests, gaps in the State’s evidence, and credibility issues with witnesses.

Mociones y Negociación

Depending on what discovery turns up, the next step may be filing motions to suppress evidence, motions to dismiss, or motions in limine to limit what the State can use at trial. At the same time, the firm engages the prosecutor in negotiations. A defense attorney with real trial readiness may affect negotiations in some cases, because prosecutors can see when a case is being prepared for litigation if it does not resolve, but no particular result can be promised.

Trial

If the State will not offer a resolution that makes sense, the case goes to trial. This is where trial preparation matters. Paez Defense prepares every case as if it is going to a jury so that it can evaluate trial and negotiation options from a position of readiness.

Past results do not predict future outcomes. The firm’s record includes three consecutive not guilty verdicts recognized by the Hat Trick Award.

Throughout the Case

The firm works to keep you informed about what is happening. Calls and texts are returned as promptly as possible. Court dates are explained in advance. If something important changes, the firm works to explain it clearly and promptly.