Best Phoenix AZ Criminal Defense Lawyers

Why These Phoenix Criminal Lawyers?

We help connect consumers with top-rated criminal defense attorneys in Phoenix. To determine which are the best of the best, we scored each criminal defense attorney or law firm across a half-dozen metrics covering three categories. Each firm or attorney’s results were analyzed to bring you a handpicked list of the very best criminal defense lawyers in Phoenix.

• Attorneys reviewed: 21
• Top picks: 5

If you or a loved one have been arrested, do not delay seeking the assistance of an attorney. The sooner an attorney can get involved in your case, the better your chances of having a strong defense.

The attorney you hire may start right away, studying the authorities’ against you, doing legal research, and preparing legal motions. That’s why the sooner they begin, the better, as they work to chip away at the prosecution’s case against you.

Skilled criminal defense attorneys in Phoenix handle everything from DUIs to simple misdemeanors to white-collar crimes to violent felonies. Get the best legal defense in Phoenix by choosing from this list of best criminal defense attorneys.

Read the profiles below and choose the attorney or law firm that best aligns with your needs.

Best Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyers

Here are the best criminal defense law firms and attorneys in Phoenix:

1. Jason D. Lamm
2. Gaxiola Law Group
3. Craig Orent
4. Joshua A. Lopez
5. Lane, Hupp & Crowley

Best Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyers for 2021

If you or a loved one are looking for an outstanding criminal defense attorney in Phoenix, these lawyers are the best of the best.

Jason D. Lamm

2501 N. 7th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Phone: (602) 663-9100

As a former felony prosecutor, attorney Jason D. Lamm understands the criminal justice process from all sides. His experience in prosecuting cases gives him unique insight into how to successfully defend them, and with a quarter-century of experience, he’s a tenacious advocate for his clients.

Lamm serves clients in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, and Chandler, as well as other areas across the state of Arizona. His primary focus areas include assault, domestic violence, sex crimes, white-collar crimes, drug trafficking, asset forfeiture, vehicle crimes, and more. He also has vast experience defending professionals like doctors, accountants, teachers, athletes, and others who are facing licensure proceedings.

Visit law firm website: https://www.thephoenixcriminalattorney.com/

Visit law firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jason-D-Lamm-Attorney-at-Law-180089475376383/

Gaxiola Law Group

One Renaissance Tower

2 North Central Avenue, 19th Floor

Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Phone: (602) 717-0631

The attorneys at Gaxiola Law Group have well over two decades of experience in criminal defense, including vast courtroom experience gleaned from a diverse array of cases. Lead attorney Richard Gaxiola was named a top Phoenix lawyer by North Valley Magazine in 2020, and he’s been repeatedly called upon to offer his expertise by local and national news outlets.

Gaxiola Law Group’s primary practice areas include theft, assault, drug trafficking, juvenile crime, drug possession, DUI, and extreme DUI. Additionally, the firm has experience in having cases tossed out of court due to illegal searches.

Visit law firm website: https://www.criminallawaz.com/

Visit law firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GaxiolaLawGroup/

Craig Orent

11811 N. Tatum Blvd. STE 3031

Phoenix, Arizona 85028

Phone: (480) 656-7301

Attorney Craig Orent brings more than three decades of legal experience to every case, and as an Arizona State Bar certified criminal law specialist, he’s an expert advocate anybody would be pleased to have on their side. Orient has a 10.0 rating on Avvo and has been honored by SuperLawyers and National Trial Lawyers.

Orent offers services in a range of criminal defense areas, including violent crimes like assault and domestic violence as well as non-violent ones like theft and fraud. He’s also an expert in defending juveniles accused of crimes, helping them avoid the specter of being permanently linked to the criminal justice system.

Visit law firm website: https://www.orentcriminallaw.com/

Visit law firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OrentLawOffices/

Joshua A. Lopez

6991 East Camelback Rd.

Suite D-300

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Phone: (480) 630-1143

Attorney Joshua A. Lopez works with clients throughout the region, including Arizona, California, and Nevada, though the Phoenix area is his primary focus. He has a 10.0 rating on Avvo and was recently named one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area.

Lopez vigorously defends clients in cases where they’re accused of violent crimes like assault or sex crimes, DUIs, drug crimes, and much more. As the only attorney in the practice, Lopez handles all cases himself, which means clients receive personalized attention at all times.

Visit law firm website: https://www.phoenixcriminalattorney.org/

Visit law firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lopezdefense/

Lane, Hupp & Crowley

111 West Monroe Street Suite 1216

Phoenix, AZ 85003

Phone: (480) 562-3482

The three attorneys at Lane, Hupp & Crowley focus exclusively on criminal defense, helping ensure their clients’ rights are not violated by the state. Partner Alex Lane is a former Maricopa County deputy prosecutor, which helps bring special expertise to cases the firm’s attorneys take on.

They have a 10.0 rating on Avvo and have been honored by both Martindale-Hubbard and Super Lawyers. Lane, Hupp & Crowley bring more than 50 years of legal experience to the table, and their primary focus areas include violent offenses, DUI, traffic crimes, theft, property crime, and drug crimes.

Visit law firm website: https://lhccriminallawyers.com/

Visit law firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lhcplc/

What Types of Crimes Are Most Common in Phoenix?

Just under 68,000 crimes were reported in Phoenix in 2019, the most recent year for federal data on crime across the country. More than 80 percent of those incidents were property crimes like motor vehicle theft and burglary, and slightly less than 60 percent consisted of just a single crime category, larceny-theft. In Phoenix, as in most places across the U.S., property crime is far more common than violent crime.

On a population-adjusted basis, that means Phoenix experienced about 700 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and about 3,300 property crimes per 100,000. That puts Phoenix in the company of most other major American cities. That’s because, like in Phoenix, crime rates in cities tend to be higher than the nation overall, which experiences violent crime at a rate of 367 per 100,000 people and property crime at a rate of about 2,100 per 100,000.

Crimes in Phoenix, by number and per 100,000 people

Phoenix is in the top three for every crime category when compared to all 10 of Arizona’s largest cities. Phoenix has the highest population-adjusted rates of violent crime, murder, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. And the broader metro area, which includes Mesa and Chandler, has the 12th highest burglary rate among the 60 biggest cities in the country. In no other crime category does Phoenix rank in the top half when compared to other major cities.

Crime is generally on the decline in Phoenix, which bucks a broad national trend that has seen many types of crimes rise rapidly in cities since the beginning of the pandemic. While aggravated assaults have risen in 2021, murder has fallen from its 2020 peak. Between 2019 and 2020, murder increase by 44 percent, but it’s now on the decline again in Phoenix.

It’s important to note that police- and FBI-reported data does not cover closed cases or incidents for which a person was convicted.