“I asked about my license before I asked about jail. She had the hearing requested that afternoon, and she explained every step to my mother in Spanish.”
Hernán V.DUI client
Criminal defense · Coral Gables
The charge is on paper. The worry is everything else.
Your job, your license, your papers, your family. I'm Celestina Arismendi, and I defend people accused of crimes in Miami-Dade and in federal court. Our first conversation starts with what you're afraid of losing, in English or in Spanish.
The first questions
What happens to…
People rarely start with the charge. They start with these. Each one has an answer, and most have a deadline.
…my job?
Most employers hear about a charge only from you or from a background check. We sort out what you have to disclose, what you don't, and how to keep working while the case moves.
…my driver's license?
After a DUI arrest, the deadline to save your license often runs out before the first court date. We check it on day one, so the chance to ask for a hearing isn't lost.
…my immigration status?
A plea that looks small can cost a green card holder or a visa holder a great deal later. Before you accept any offer, we review it with you, and with an immigration lawyer when it needs one.
…my family?
Who to tell, what to say, and what never to discuss on a jail phone. With your permission, we explain the case to the people at home, in the language they're most comfortable in.
…my record?
An arrest isn't a conviction. We look first for a dismissal or a diversion program, and tell you early whether the record could be sealed once the case is over.
…my savings?
Before you pay anything, you get the fee in writing for the stage your case is in, so you know what the next months cost. Payment plans are possible.
Your lawyer
The lawyer you meet is the lawyer in court
No hand-offs to an associate you've never met. Celestina takes a small number of cases so she can answer for each one herself.
She was an assistant public defender in Miami-Dade before opening this office in 2014. She knows how a first appearance goes, what prosecutors in this county tend to offer, and when an offer is worth turning down.
She grew up in Caracas and Hialeah and speaks with clients and their families in Spanish from the first call to the last hearing.
Celestina Arismendi
Founding attorney
The firm, in brief
Facts before you call
- Founded
- 2014, on Ponce de Leon Boulevard
- Courts
- Miami-Dade County and Circuit courtsU.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Jurisdictions
- Florida state courts, and federal court in South Florida
- Languages
- English and Spanish, at every meeting and hearing
- Meetings
- At the office in Coral Gables, or by video
- Lawyers
- One. Every case is Celestina's.
Charges
Three kinds of case, defended closely
A narrow practice on purpose. These are the charges Celestina takes to court every week.
Fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and federal investigations, from the first letter from an agent.
A fight outside a bar, an argument that went too far, a claim of self-defense the police didn't hear.
Two cases at once: the license hearing with its short deadline, and the charge in county court.
Afterwards
What clients said once it was behind them
“My father was arrested on a Friday. Celestina called us back that night and told us what would happen at the bond hearing, and it went the way she said.”
Nereida C.A client's daughter
“I got a letter from investigators and thought my career was over. She told me what not to say, who to call and what could realistically happen. No promises, just a plan.”
Fidel R.Fraud investigation
Each client's case is different. These are a few clients' own words, shared with permission; they don't predict the result in yours.
Asked in the first call
Questions people ask quietly
I keep worrying I'll lose my job. Will I?
Most people keep working through their case. We talk early about whether your employer has to be told, what a background check would show, and how to schedule hearings around your shifts.
My son has a green card. What does a plea mean for him?
Some pleas that end a case quickly can lead to removal or block citizenship later. Before he accepts anything, we review the exact wording with him, and with an immigration lawyer when the charge calls for one.
Can I meet you without my family knowing?
Yes. What you tell your lawyer stays between you and your lawyer. We share the case with someone at home only if you ask us to.
Do I have to talk in English?
No. Celestina and her legal assistant, Benicio Belisario, both speak Spanish. You can meet, read your papers and prepare for court in Spanish; the court provides an interpreter at hearings.
How fast will someone call me back?
Usually the same day you call or write. If someone is in custody, say so first, and we'll start with the bond hearing.
Start with what you're afraid of losing.
Call or write today. The first conversation is private, and you can have it in English or in Spanish.