Broward County Criminal Defense Attorney

The Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. defends people accused of serious state and federal crimes in Broward County, from Fort Lauderdale to Pembroke Pines and the communities between, with a practice that extends across Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Monroe, and the rest of South Florida. If you are looking for a Broward County criminal defense attorney, the first thing to sort out is which system is actually going to prosecute you, because that single fact changes nearly everything that follows.

Broward sits inside the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which covers this county and no other. State felonies are heard in circuit court in Fort Lauderdale, while misdemeanors, criminal traffic offenses, and ordinance violations go through county court. But Broward is also part of the Southern District of Florida, whose federal court sits in Fort Lauderdale as well as in Miami and West Palm Beach. The same conduct, such as a drug sale, a fraudulent loan application, or cash moved across a border, can be charged by the State Attorney or by the United States Attorney. Which office takes the case affects the penalties, the rules of evidence, the speed of the case, and the realistic options for resolving it.

Why Choose the Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. for a Broward Defense

Nayib Hassan, the firm’s founder and attorney, began his career on the other side of the courtroom. He served as a Broward County Assistant State Attorney, handled thousands of cases, and tried hundreds to verdict before moving into private defense. In total he has spent more than 20 years inside the criminal justice system. That background matters in Broward specifically: he knows how charging decisions get made in this county, how prosecutors weigh the risk of trial, and what they look for when deciding whether a case is worth negotiating.

The firm represents business owners, professionals, and individuals charged in state court and federal court. Mr. Hassan is admitted to the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida federal courts, the federal court for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks directly with clients and their families without an interpreter. He is recognized among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, holds a 10.0 Avvo rating, and serves on the Miami board of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University and has presented continuing legal education programs on federal court practice to other defense attorneys.

On the results side, Mr. Hassan has represented defendants in multi-defendant drug cases, including matters where charges were dismissed and a case where his client received one of the lowest sentences among all codefendants. His cases have drawn coverage from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, and the Miami Herald, and he has defended clients in federal courts in Florida, the Southern District of New York, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, and California. The firm deliberately limits its caseload so the attorney handling your case is the attorney you talk to, and it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because arrests and agent visits do not follow office hours. Consultations are confidential.

Charges the Firm Defends for Broward Clients

• DUI: Under Florida’s DUI statute, a driver is guilty at a blood or breath alcohol level of 0.08 or higher, or upon proof that normal faculties were impaired, so a case can proceed even with a lower reading. A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, rising to $1,000 to $2,000 at 0.15 or above or with a minor in the vehicle, plus a license revocation of at least 180 days and up to one year. Judges cannot accept a plea to a lesser-included offense in a DUI case, which narrows the usual paths to a reduction and puts weight on challenging the stop, the testing, and the proof of impairment.
• Drug Possession and Delivery: Possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis is a first-degree misdemeanor, as is delivering that amount without payment. Other controlled substances are treated far more harshly, and the quantity, the packaging, and where the drugs were found often decide whether the State can prove possession at all.
• Drug Trafficking: Trafficking in cocaine begins at 28 grams, including any mixture containing it, and is a first-degree felony with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $50,000 fine at that weight. The minimum climbs to seven years at 200 grams and 15 years at 400 grams. Because weight drives the sentence, how the substance was weighed and whether it was truly a mixture are real battlegrounds.
• Theft and Fraud-Based Property Crimes: Theft is graded by value. Property worth $100 up to $750 is a first-degree misdemeanor, unless taken from a dwelling, which makes it third-degree grand theft. From $750 to under $20,000 is a third-degree felony, $20,000 to under $100,000 is a second-degree felony, and $100,000 or more is a first-degree felony. Disputes over valuation can move a case between categories.
• White Collar and Federal Fraud: Wire fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, PPP and EIDL loan fraud, and false statements to federal agents are routinely charged in the Southern District of Florida. These cases turn on intent and on how the government calculates loss, which drives the federal sentencing range.
• Money Laundering and Currency Offenses: Laundering counts are often added to fraud or drug cases when money moves between accounts, through real estate, or across borders. Bulk cash smuggling and structuring cases frequently begin at airports and seaports and carry forfeiture of the funds.
• Violent Crimes and Firearm Offenses: The firm defends serious state charges as well as federal firearm cases, where the evidence of possession, the legality of the stop, and the circumstances of any search are usually the central questions.
• Asset Forfeiture: When the government moves to take cash, vehicles, real estate, or business assets, the firm challenges the forfeiture alongside the criminal case so a family is not stripped of resources while the case is pending.

What to Do in the First Days After an Arrest or Investigation Begins

The most useful thing you can do is stop talking about the case to anyone but your lawyer. Statements to police officers and federal agents are used in court, and an incomplete or inaccurate answer to an agent can become its own charge for false statements. Be courteous, take down the officer’s or agent’s name and contact information, say you want to speak with a lawyer before answering questions, and then call one. If agents arrive with a search warrant, do not interfere and do not explain; ask for a copy of the warrant and contact counsel.

If you have been arrested in Broward, the first appearance and bond decision happen quickly, and what is said at that hearing about your ties to the community, your work, and your history can shape whether you are released and on what conditions. A Broward County criminal defense attorney who gets involved at this stage can present that information properly instead of leaving it to chance. State felony cases proceed in the circuit criminal division of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Fort Lauderdale, while misdemeanors and criminal traffic cases are handled by the Broward County Court. Federal charges are filed in the Southern District of Florida, which holds court in Fort Lauderdale for Broward cases.

Deadlines matter, and they depend on the offense. Florida generally requires prosecution of a first-degree felony to begin within four years, other felonies within three years, and first-degree misdemeanors within two years, while capital and life felonies and felonies resulting in death have no limit. Some fraud-related offenses carry longer windows. Federal cases have their own limits; pandemic loan fraud, for example, can be charged many years after the loan was obtained. Do not assume time has run out without having a lawyer check the specific charge.

Gather and preserve whatever relates to the accusation: bank records, emails, text messages, business documents, and the paperwork you received from police, a lender, or a government agency. Do not delete anything, and do not contact witnesses or alleged victims yourself. If you have received a target letter, a grand jury subpoena, or a call from an agent asking for a voluntary interview, treat that as the most valuable moment to hire counsel. Before indictment there may still be room to present information to prosecutors, negotiate the scope of charges, or arrange a voluntary surrender in place of an arrest.

State Court or Federal Court: Why the Forum Changes the Defense

Many people assume a federal case is just a larger version of a state case. It is not. By the time a federal indictment arrives, agencies like the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, and the inspectors general of HHS and the SBA may have spent months or years collecting bank records, communications, and recorded calls. Federal sentences follow the United States Sentencing Guidelines, where alleged loss amounts and drug quantities can push a recommended range up fast, and there is no parole, so the imposed sentence is close to the time served.

State cases move under different pressures. Florida sets penalty ceilings by offense class: up to 30 years for a first-degree felony unless the statute provides life, up to 15 years for a second-degree felony, and up to five years for a third-degree felony, with maximum fines of $10,000 for first- and second-degree felonies, $5,000 for third-degree felonies, and $1,000 for a first-degree misdemeanor. Those ceilings frame negotiations, but the actual outcome depends on the evidence, the judge, and the strength of the defense. Mr. Hassan’s experience on both sides lets him assess early which forum is likely, what the prosecution can actually prove, and where the case is vulnerable.

Clearing a Record After a Broward Case

The outcome of a case also determines what happens to the record afterward. In Florida, sealing or expunction requires first obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and a court cannot order either remedy without it. That certificate is valid for 12 months, after which you must reapply. A person adjudicated guilty of a felony is not eligible, and a person who has previously had a Florida record sealed or expunged generally cannot do it again. Expunction is also limited to one arrest or incident, with narrow exceptions for directly related arrests. Even for those who qualify, courts have discretion to deny the request, so a withheld adjudication or a dismissal is worth pursuing with the record in mind from the start of the case.

Broward County Criminal Defense Questions Answered

Should I talk to the police if I think I can explain what happened?

No. Even a truthful explanation can be misread or contradicted by other evidence, and anything you say can be used against you. Politely decline to discuss the matter and ask to speak with a lawyer first.

What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in Broward?

Misdemeanors carry up to one year in county jail and are heard in county court. Felonies carry potential prison time and are heard in circuit court. Florida divides felonies into degrees, from third-degree (up to five years) through second-degree (up to 15 years) to first-degree (up to 30 years, or life when a statute says so).

Can the same conduct be charged in both state and federal court?

It can. Drug offenses, fraud, firearm cases, and money movement across borders frequently fall under both systems, and which prosecutor takes the case can change the penalties significantly. Early involvement of counsel can influence where a matter lands.

Can a DUI charge be reduced to something lesser?

Florida law bars judges from accepting a guilty plea to a lesser-included offense in a DUI case, so reductions are harder than in other charges. Defense work therefore focuses on the legality of the stop, the administration of field and breath tests, and whether impairment can actually be proved.

How long can my license be suspended after a first DUI?

A first conviction without a death carries a revocation of at least 180 days and no more than one year. A second conviction within five years of a prior one carries a five-year revocation.

What makes cocaine trafficking charges so serious?

Quantity alone can trigger the offense. Possessing, selling, or delivering 28 grams or more of cocaine, or a mixture containing it, is a first-degree felony with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $50,000 fine. Higher weights carry minimums of seven and 15 years, so the accuracy of the lab weight is often contested.

How does the value of stolen property affect a theft charge?

Value sets the grade of the offense. Under $750 is generally a misdemeanor, while $750 and above is a felony, and the degree rises at $20,000 and again at $100,000. Taking even $100 or more from a dwelling is elevated to third-degree grand theft.

Can a criminal record from Broward be sealed or expunged?

Possibly, but it depends on how the case ended. If you were adjudicated guilty of a felony you are not eligible, and you generally may only do this once. Everyone must start with an FDLE Certificate of Eligibility, and the court still has discretion to say no.

How long after an offense can prosecutors still file charges?

For most Florida offenses the clock is two years for first-degree misdemeanors, three years for ordinary felonies, and four years for first-degree felonies. Life felonies and felonies resulting in death can be charged at any time, and some fraud-related offenses carry five years or more. Federal offenses follow separate rules.

I received a target letter or a call from federal agents. Is it too early to hire a lawyer?

No, it is usually the best time. Before an indictment is returned there may be room to present information to prosecutors, negotiate the charges, arrange a voluntary surrender, and protect assets unrelated to the allegations. Those options often disappear once charges are filed.

Do you handle cases outside Broward County?

Yes. The firm defends clients across Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties, throughout the Southern District of Florida, and in federal courts around the country, including matters involving Colombia, Mexico, the Bahamas, Ecuador, and Cuba.

Serving Broward County Defense Clients Across South Florida

The firm’s work starts in Broward County and radiates outward. We represent clients in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Deerfield Beach, Weston, Lauderhill, Tamarac, Margate, Coconut Creek, and Dania Beach, along with the surrounding neighborhoods that make up the county. Whether a case begins with a traffic stop on a Broward roadway, a search at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport or Port Everglades, or a federal investigation that reaches into a local business, the defense begins the same way, with a clear look at what the government can actually prove.

Beyond Broward, the firm serves Miami-Dade County, including Miami, Hialeah, Doral, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Kendall, Aventura, North Miami, Homestead, and Miami Gardens, as well as Palm Beach County and Monroe County. Because federal practice is not limited by county lines, the firm also represents clients charged across the Southern District of Florida and in federal courts nationwide. Hablamos Español.

Speak With a Broward County Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

If you are under investigation, have been arrested, or have been charged in state or federal court, the choices made in the first few days often shape everything that follows. A Broward County criminal defense lawyer who understands how prosecutors on both sides build and evaluate a case can help you decide what to say, what to hold back, and how to approach the charges. Call the Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A. at any hour to schedule a confidential consultation, and start building your defense before decisions are made for you.