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Criminal Defense

Top-Ranked Criminal Defense Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.27 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked criminal defense lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are Ruth Mercedes Martinez (LexRank 84.00), Steven Raisman (84.00) and Andrew Matthew Coffey (84.00).

This ranking lists 7 criminal defense lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 17 to 37 years in practice. 3 of the 7 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
7
Fully verified
7 of 7

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Ruth Mercedes Martinez

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.9)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  2. No change

    Steven Raisman

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.9)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  3. No change

    Andrew Matthew Coffey

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 30 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.9)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  4. No change

    Gerard Shelton Williams

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 78.85: strongest in Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 5.15 points behind #3, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    5.15 points behind #3 (Andrew Matthew Coffey): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  5. No change

    Hussein Sony EL Rashidy

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 74.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 4.45 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 26.4)

    4.45 points behind #4 (Gerard Shelton Williams): Experience −9.6.

  6. No change

    Fairuze Sofia

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 74.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30).

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 26.4)
  7. No change

    Zeljka Bozanic

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Criminal Defense
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 72.85: strongest in Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.55 points behind #6, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.55 points behind #6 (Fairuze Sofia): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 7 profile pages85 facts for 7 lawyers

Criminal Defense market in Fort Lauderdale

LexRanked tracks 7 lawyers in criminal defense law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 7 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
7
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
7 of 7
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
29 years7 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Fort Lauderdale

What sets these Fort Lauderdale lawyers apart

All 7 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 7 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law 7 of 7
Years in practice 17 to 37 (median 29)
Languages besides English Spanish (3), French (2), Arabic (1), Croatian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Nova Southeastern University - Shepard Broad College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Lauderdale office address and criminal defense as a practice area on record. It compares 7 criminal defense lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida sets deadlines for charging a crime, and anyone who cannot afford a lawyer is entitled to a public defender.

Rule What it means
Time limit to prosecute a first-degree felony 4 years after the offense (Fla. Stat. § 775.15)
Other felonies 3 years (§ 775.15)
First-degree misdemeanor 2 years (§ 775.15)
Second-degree misdemeanor 1 year (§ 775.15)
No time limit Capital and life felonies and felonies resulting in death (§ 775.15)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Broward County is in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long does Florida have to charge a crime?

Generally 4 years for a first-degree felony, 3 years for other felonies, 2 years for a first-degree misdemeanor and 1 year for a second-degree misdemeanor. Capital and life felonies and felonies resulting in death have no time limit.

What if I cannot afford a criminal defense lawyer?

You can ask the court to appoint the public defender, who represents people who cannot afford a lawyer.

What does Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 7 of the 7 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Fort Lauderdale?

State court cases in Broward County are heard in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking criminal defense lawyers in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. 3 of the 7 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

7 of the 7 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Ruth Mercedes Martinez, Steven Raisman, Andrew Matthew Coffey, Gerard Shelton Williams and Hussein Sony EL Rashidy and others.

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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