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Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Decatur, IL (2026)

13 criminal defense lawyers ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank

4 of the 13 criminal defense lawyers on this list post 24/7 hours. 24/7 law firms come first, then same-day, each ranked by LFR Score with availability weighted higher.

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

The short answer

  1. 1

    #1 for emergency criminal defense in Decatur: Johnson Law Group, open 24/7.

Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur at a glance

Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur at a glance
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingBased inHours
1Johnson Law Group694.6★ (24)DecaturOpen 24 hrs (Google)
2Brinkoetter Law Office674.8★ (8)DecaturOpen 24 hrs (Google)
3Bolen Robinson & Ellis, LLP654.8★ (154)DecaturOpen 24 hrs (Google)
4Albers Car Accident and Injury Lawyer615.0★ (29)DecaturOpen 24 hrs (Google)
5Wachukwu Law485.0★ (7)Decatur—
6Philip J. Tibbs474.7★ (7)Decatur—
7Jon P. Erickson Law Office454.9★ (92)Decatur—
8217 Law LLC444.9★ (69)DecaturSat
9Paul G. Chiligiris, Attorney at Law424.8★ (29)Decatur—
10Andrew M Wessler, Attorney at Law414.7★ (26)Decatur—

Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Decatur now

24-hour hours mean the firm lists itself as open around the clock on Google; that does not show its phone is answered. A lawyer may not be able to visit a jail or appear in court the same day: ask what they can do now and what it costs before you agree.

The 13 emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur, ranked

24/7 first, then same-day service, then the rest. Each group is in LFR Score order on emergency weights.

Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.

  1. Ranked #1 in Decatur

    #1 Johnson Law Group

    Based in Decatur

    69/100LFR Score

    Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 24 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.

    • 4.6★ from 24 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    132 S Water St #645, Decatur, IL 62523
    View profile for Johnson Law Group(217) 727-7047

  2. #2 Brinkoetter Law Office

    Based in Decatur

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.

    • 4.8★ from 8 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    363 S Main St, Decatur, IL 62523
    View profile for Brinkoetter Law Office(217) 429-1001

  5. #5 Wachukwu Law

    Based in Decatur

    48/100LFR Score

    Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 7 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.

    • 5.0★ from 7 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Thu 9 AM–4 PM · Fri 9 AM–1 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    2490 N Water St Apt 7, Decatur, IL 62526
    View profile for Wachukwu Law(217) 215-5070

  6. #6 Philip J. Tibbs

    Based in Decatur

    47/100LFR Score

    Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 7 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Attorney”.

    Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.

    • 4.7★ from 7 Google reviews
    Address
    241 S Main St, Decatur, IL 62523
    View profile for Philip J. Tibbs(217) 423-8081

  8. #8 217 Law LLC

    Based in Decatur

    44/100LFR Score

    Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 69 Google reviews.

    Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.

    • 4.9★ from 69 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Tue 8:30 AM–4:30 PM · Wed closed · Thu 8:30 AM–4:30 PM · Fri–Sat 8:30 AM–12 PM · Sun closed
    Address
    132 S Water St #628, Decatur, IL 62523
    View profile for 217 Law LLC(217) 217-0217

  11. #11 Patel Law, PC

    Based in Decatur

    41/100LFR Score

    Ranked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 22 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.

    Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.

    • 4.6★ from 22 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    115 W Pershing Rd, Decatur, IL 62526
    View profile for Patel Law, PC(217) 384-1111

How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.

Read the full method: formula, sources and exclusions

LFR Score factors and weights
FactorWeightComputed from
Reputation15%Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it
Bar status10%An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded)
Review volume10%Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list
Recency10%Share of reviews from the last 12 months
Availability15%Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7
Practice focus15%How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name)
Proximity5%An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is
Claimed profile10%The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same)
Law Firms Ranked reviews10%Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are

Emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur: questions

Which criminal defense lawyers in Decatur are open 24/7?

4 on this list post 24/7 hours: Johnson Law Group, Brinkoetter Law Office, Bolen Robinson & Ellis, LLP and Albers Car Accident and Injury Lawyer.

Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Decatur, IL?

Johnson Law Group is #1, with an LFR Score of 69 out of 100 on emergency weights.

How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Decatur ranked?

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

What should I do before the criminal defense lawyer arrives?

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

How many emergency criminal defense lawyers here list a phone number?

13 of the 13 law firms ranked in full list a phone number. Tap Call to dial it.

Update log for Decatur

  1. November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 13 criminal defense lawyers serving Decatur.

More emergency and criminal defense pages