North Lauderdale

The Ansara Law Firm has proudly provided highly trusted criminal defense services in North Lauderdale for more than two decades. 

For years, this community was mostly cattle and horse farming - until an architect in the 1950s began designing plans for “The City of Tomorrow,” which promised to be the middle-class answer to the Sunbelt glitz and glamor of Miami Beach. 

Today, North Lauderdale is now a mostly residential community, home to some 45,000 inhabitants just 30 minutes northwest of Fort Lauderdale. Its motto is “A Fun City in the Heart of Broward,” and it’s recognized as a dynamic and culturally-diverse city. With a mix of parks, commercial districts, and quiet residential areas, it’s still considered an attractive place to raise a family in South Florida. 

All that said though, North Lauderdale isn’t without its share of criminal cases.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports that in a single recent year, authorities made 665 arrests in North Lauderdale. Of those, nearly 10 percent were arrests of juveniles. 

Most common offenses included:

• Larceny (also known as theft) - 132
• Simple assault* - 68
• Drug arrests - 54
• Aggravated assault* - 45
• Burglary - 21
• Fraud/embezzlement/forgery - 15
• Motor vehicle theft - 13
• Weapons violations (unlawful possession by a felon, etc.) - 12
• Receiving stolen property - 11

*Note: Assaults include acts of domestic violence.

Policing in North Lauderdale falls to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office via contract with the city. The BSO district has 68 employees providing LEO services to North Lauderdale, including 51 patrol deputies & detectives, 10 ranking officers, and 7 civilian administrators. 

Resources at the BSO’s disposal for criminal investigations include a helicopter, K-9 unit, Dive Team, SWAT, crime scene investigators, a Forensics Unit, and a full testing laboratory. Criminal defendants need to realize that they’re going up against all that - plus a highly-skilled state attorney’s office. And no matter how well those teams play up the “good cop” persona, if you’re the accused, they are NOT your friends. They want to close cases. They want high conviction rates. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth can get lost in those pursuits. 

Defendants need all the help they can get if they have any hope of navigating the thorny paths of the Florida criminal justice system. Our North Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers are knowledgeable, skilled, connected, and responsive. 

We understand that from the moment you realize you’re suspected of a crime, anxiety runs high and there’s a great deal of concern for the future. You might feel compelled to talk - to police, to your friends, to your family members - to explain your side, clear your name. This is a common inclination, but it can be very bad for your defense. It’s missteps like this that can have you facing the greater likelihood of a conviction and a much higher penalty too. That’s why hiring a private criminal defense attorney as soon as possible - even if you’re innocent - is so imperative. 

Being arrested is an awful experience. But do your very best to stay calm and think clearly. Remember that an arrest is not the end - it’s just the beginning. You will have the chance to fight this, and you don’t have to (nor should you) do it alone. 

If you find yourself arrested in North Lauderdale - no matter what the charge - here are some basic defense lawyer tips to follow:

• Be silent, but compliant. Yes, police are required to read you your Miranda rights after arrest. This statement informs you of your right to stay silent, your right to an attorney, and the fact that anything you do say will be held against you. And you should absolutely invoke that right to silence - clearly and verbally - once they’ve been said aloud to you. However, some officers will try to get around this by buddying up to you before the arrest. If you freely make statements to police prior to arrest and while you weren’t technically in their custody, it is very difficult for your attorney to have any of those statements suppressed after the fact. So the best thing you can do in ANY police encounter in which you’re a suspect is: Stay quiet, but compliant. Follow instructions. Be polite. Keep your cool. But don’t answer any questions beyond confirming your identity and providing a driver’s license/ID car and insurance information. 
• Do not consent to searches. It doesn’t matter if you have nothing to hide. If the police do find anything, your defense lawyer will have a tough time arguing a motion to suppress that evidence if you voluntarily consented. Compel them to get a warrant - or at least explain their probable cause reasoning in court. 
• Don’t try to negotiate with the police. Leave this to your lawyer. For one thing, police can - and often do - legally lie to you. You can’t assume any “deal” they’re offering you will actually be honored if you give them what they want.
  
• Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney. Doing this as soon as possible after arrest is your very best chance to protect your freedom, your finances, and your future. 

If you have been arrested in North Lauderdale and need to secure immediate legal representation, call The Ansara Law Firm in Broward County at (954) 761-4011.