Criminal Defense Attorneys in Dearborn

Last updated October 16, 2026

The practice

LegalSolv is a criminal defense law firm in Dearborn, Michigan. Our criminal defense attorneys represent clients in the 19th District Court, the 36th District Court in Detroit, the Wayne County Circuit Court, and the district courts across Wayne County, in English and Arabic.

A criminal charge puts both your liberty and your record on the table. The next several months will determine where they end up. The right strategy depends on the specific charge, the evidence in the state’s file, and the court the case is set in. There is no generic playbook. For Dearborn cases, that court is the 19th District Court on Michigan Avenue, minutes from our office. It handles more than 75,000 cases a year with three judges. We appear there regularly, and we know how each judge runs a docket, what the city prosecutor tends to offer on a first offense, and how probation handles interviews. For many Dearborn families the deciding factor is a defense lawyer who can work with the whole family in both English and Arabic from the first appearance on.

The firm has tried cases ranging from first-time misdemeanors to high-class felonies in Wayne County and the surrounding districts, and the attorney who takes your first call is the attorney who handles the case.

Charges we handle

• Felonies. Assault, drug offenses, weapons charges, financial crimes, and sex offenses. The matters that carry prison exposure and a permanent record. Our felony defense attorneys in Dearborn take them from the preliminary exam through trial.
• Misdemeanors. Larceny, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespassing, retail fraud, and driving on a suspended license. Smaller charges that still surface on background checks for years.
• OWI and DUI. First offense, second offense, super-drunk (BAC 0.17 or higher), and OWI causing injury or death. Each tier has different penalties and a different defense path, and our OWI and DUI defense lawyers in Dearborn handle every tier.
• Drug crimes. Possession through trafficking under both Michigan and federal statutes. The legality of the stop, the search, and the chain of custody often matters more than what was found. Our drug possession lawyers in Dearborn handle possession, use, and the 7411 and HYTA deferrals.
• Domestic violence. Domestic assault charges and the related personal protection order proceedings, handled by our domestic violence lawyers in Dearborn.
• Theft and property crimes. Larceny, burglary, robbery, fraud, and embezzlement.
• Weapons and firearms charges. Felony firearm, CCW violations, felon-in-possession, and brandishing. The penalties are often mandatory and stack on top of the underlying charge.
• Sex offenses. Criminal sexual conduct charges in all four degrees, sexual assault, and registry-related matters. These cases require careful handling at every stage.
• Violent crimes. Arson, kidnapping, and similar offenses that carry significant prison exposure.
• Solicitation and prostitution. Charges that often involve sting operations and constitutional issues around the stop and arrest.
• Probation violations. A minor slip can put you back in front of the original sentencing judge with worse exposure than the underlying case carried. See probation violations and warrants.
• Post-conviction relief. Motions for new trial, sentencing relief, and appeals where the record supports them.
• Expungements. Michigan’s Clean Slate Act expanded eligibility substantially in 2021. Records that were once permanent may now be set aside, and our expungement attorneys in Dearborn handle the petition.

Where Wayne County criminal cases are heard

Misdemeanors are arraigned and heard in the district court for the city where the charge was filed, and felonies start there with a probable cause conference and preliminary examination before binding over to the Wayne County Circuit Court’s Criminal Division at the Criminal Justice Center in Detroit. Which court a case lives in shapes the timeline, the prosecutor, and the plea options, so it is the first question we answer. Our guides to the 19th District Court in Dearborn, the 20th District Court in Dearborn Heights, the 36th District Court in Detroit, and the Wayne County Circuit Court cover hours, judges, case lookup, and what happens at the first appearance.

How a case is handled

• Discovery before strategy. Every police report, body camera and dashcam recording, lab result, and witness statement is reviewed before any strategy conversation. The case lives in those pages.
• Identify the issue worth pressing. Some cases are tried. Some are negotiated. Some are challenged on the stop, the search, or the chain of custody. The right answer is in the file.
• Trial readiness. If the case has to be tried, it is tried. The firm handles preliminary examinations and trials regularly.
• Direct communication. You should not learn about developments in your case from a court notice. The firm communicates with you first.

Why clients choose LegalSolv for criminal cases

• 10+ years of Wayne County trial experience
• Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2021 and 2022)
• Practice conducted in English and Arabic
• Direct access to the attorney handling your case
• Strategies built around the principle that the burden of proof is on the state, not on you