Criminal Defense
Brooks Law Firm defends people charged with crimes in Memphis, Shelby County, and the surrounding West Tennessee counties — misdemeanors and felonies, from the first appearance through trial. Office (901) 324-5000. Criminal line, call or text, 901-412-2973. The consultation is free.
What it costs. Fees are flat and quoted before you hire us. Misdemeanors in Shelby County General Sessions start at $750. Felonies start at $1,500 to $2,500, depending on class and case. Court costs and restitution are separate. Full detail on the cost page.
Start With What Happened
Most people arrive here at a specific moment rather than with a legal question. Find yours:
- Someone was just arrested — what happens after an arrest in Memphis, and how bond works before you pay a bondsman.
- There is a warrant — capias and bench warrants, including how a recall works, and outstanding warrants generally.
- Court is coming up — arraignment, then the preliminary hearing if it is a felony.
- You want to know how long this takes — realistic Shelby County timelines.
- You are already on probation — a new charge usually triggers a violation proceeding, which is often the more serious of the two problems.
- You are worried about your job, license, or family — what a pending charge means for your job, license, custody, and record.
Charges We Defend
Driving offenses. DUI — first offense, repeat, felony, under 21, and drug DUI. Also reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene, habitual motor vehicle offender, and traffic and CDL matters.
Drug charges. Possession through trafficking — marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, ecstasy, and prescription pills. Also conspiracy and Shelby County Drug Court.
Assault and domestic. Domestic assault, aggravated domestic assault, simple and aggravated assault, and orders of protection on either side.
Theft and property. Theft at every value tier, shoplifting, felony theft over $1,000, burglary, robbery, and white collar and employee theft.
Other charges. Weapons, sexual offenses, juvenile, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, federal charges, and appeals in select cases. Also veterans defense and defense for non-citizens.
By seriousness: misdemeanor defense and felony defense. Afterward: expungement.
How to Choose a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Memphis
Search “best criminal defense attorney Memphis” and you get directories and paid listicles. None of them tell you what actually distinguishes one lawyer from another for your case. Here is what we would ask if we were hiring:
- Do they appear in your court? A misdemeanor in Germantown Municipal Court and the same charge at 201 Poplar are different experiences with different prosecutors and different customs. Ask specifically about the court on your paperwork, not the county.
- Will the lawyer you meet be the lawyer in court? At larger firms the person who signs you up is frequently not the person who appears. Ask directly.
- Is the fee flat, and what does it cover? Ask whether it includes trial, whether court costs are separate, and what happens if the case is bound over to Criminal Court. A quoted number that changes at the preliminary hearing is not a flat fee.
- What is the realistic range of outcomes? A lawyer who promises a dismissal at the first meeting, before seeing discovery, is selling rather than advising.
- Do they understand what a conviction does beyond the sentence? Theft is a dishonesty offense. DUI can never be expunged. A domestic assault conviction affects firearm rights. Those consequences frequently matter more than jail.
- Credentials that mean something. Membership in the National College for DUI Defense and the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers indicates continuing work in the field. Awards purchased from directories do not.
Patrick Brooks and Beth Brooks handle their cases personally. You will speak with the attorney who will stand next to you.
Where Criminal Cases Are Heard
The court on your paperwork determines a great deal about how the case moves. Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County cases go to General Sessions Criminal Court at 201 Poplar; felonies get a preliminary hearing downstairs before the grand jury and Criminal Court upstairs.
The suburbs run their own courts with concurrent General Sessions jurisdiction over state misdemeanors — Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville, and Millington. Communities without their own criminal court route into Shelby County: Cordova, Arlington, and Lakeland.
Outside Shelby County we appear in Fayette, Tipton, Lauderdale, and Haywood General Sessions. Full list on courts we serve.
How We Approach a Case
Most criminal cases are decided by work done before anyone argues anything. Video is perishable and gets overwritten on a cycle measured in weeks, so preservation requests go out early. The affidavit of complaint gets read closely, because an affidavit reciting conclusions is a different case from one describing observations. Where a stop or search produced the evidence, whether it was lawful is usually the first and best question. And eligibility for diversion gets checked before any offer is discussed, not after.
We also tell clients what the law does not allow. An honest assessment early is worth more than an optimistic one that collapses at the third setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the best criminal defense lawyer in Memphis?
Ask whether the lawyer appears regularly in the specific court on your paperwork, whether the attorney you meet will be the one in court, what the flat fee covers and whether it changes if the case is bound over, and what the realistic range of outcomes is. Directory rankings and purchased awards tell you very little.
How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Memphis?
At Brooks Law Firm, misdemeanors in Shelby County General Sessions start at a flat $750 and felonies start at $1,500 to $2,500 depending on the class. Court costs and restitution are separate. Fees are quoted before you hire us.
Do I need a lawyer for a misdemeanor?
Usually the question is not the sentence but the record. Many misdemeanors can be resolved so that nothing permanent remains — through dismissal, diversion, or amendment — but those options depend on your history and are frequently lost by resolving the case quickly at the first setting.
What is the difference between General Sessions and Criminal Court?
General Sessions handles misdemeanors start to finish and holds preliminary hearings on felonies. If a felony is bound over, the grand jury indicts and the case moves to Criminal Court, where discovery, motions, and trial happen. People describe this as downstairs and upstairs at 201 Poplar.
Will my case stay in Germantown, Bartlett, or Collierville?
A state misdemeanor arising in one of those towns is generally heard in that city’s court, which holds concurrent General Sessions jurisdiction. A felony begins there through the preliminary hearing and is then bound over to the Shelby County grand jury.
Talk to Us Before Your Court Date
Bring your citation, bond paperwork, or anything the officer gave you. We will tell you what you are actually charged with, what it is likely to do, and what it will cost — before you decide anything.
Brooks Law Firm
2299 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38104
Office (901) 324-5000
Criminal line, call or text 901-412-2973
Se habla Español.