70/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 208 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Des Moines, IA (2026)
49 criminal defense lawyers ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank
4 of the 49 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 for emergency criminal defense in Des Moines: Lombardi & Miler Law Firm PLLC, 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 Des Moines 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.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lombardi & Miler Law Firm PLLC | 70 | 5.0★ (208) | West Des Moines, 10 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 2 | Clark & Sears Law, PLLC | 69 | 4.8★ (42) | Des Moines | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 3 | Hope Law Firm | 62 | 4.6★ (728) | West Des Moines, 9 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 4 | The Smith Law Firm, PLLC | 55 | 4.9★ (107) | Ames, 29 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 5 | Owens Roger P | 59 | 4.3★ (18) | Des Moines | — |
| 6 | Feuerhelm Law Office PC | 58 | 4.6★ (13) | Des Moines | — |
| 7 | Vogel Law, PLLC | 52 | 4.8★ (123) | Des Moines | — |
| 8 | Branstad and Olson Law Office | 51 | 4.6★ (96) | Des Moines | — |
| 9 | Herting Law, PLLC | 51 | 4.9★ (123) | West Des Moines, 6 mi away | — |
| 10 | Feld Law Firm | 51 | 4.8★ (140) | West Des Moines, 8 mi away | — |
Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Des Moines 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.
- #1Call (515) 513-5324
#1Lombardi & Miler Law Firm PLLC
Open 24/7 · 5.0 from 208 Google reviews
- #2Call (515) 200-2787
Open 24/7 · 4.8 from 42 Google reviews
- #3Call (515) 385-4183
Open 24/7 · 4.6 from 728 Google reviews
- #4Call (515) 451-1260
Open 24/7 · 4.9 from 107 Google reviews
The 49 emergency criminal defense lawyers in Des Moines, 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.
Based in Des Moines
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 42 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in West Des Moines, 9 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.6★ from 728 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Ames, 29 mi away
55/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 107 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
59/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.3★ from 18 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 13 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
52/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 123 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 96 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in West Des Moines, 6 mi away
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 123 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#10 Feld Law Firm
Based in West Des Moines, 8 mi away
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 140 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 66 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in West Des Moines, 8 mi away
50/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 74 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
49/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 33 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
49/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.5★ from 30 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in West Des Moines, 8 mi away
48/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 72 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in West Des Moines, 8 mi away
48/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 32 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#17 Stowers & Nelsen
Based in West Des Moines, 10 mi away
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 32 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 3.0★ from 16 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#19 Crabb Thomas G
Based in Des Moines
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#20 Steves Law Firm
Based in Des Moines
45/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 3.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Ankeny, 9 mi away
45/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 11 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Waukee, 13 mi away
45/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 13 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#23 Colin C. Murphy
Based in West Des Moines, 10 mi away
44/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.3★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
43/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 30 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Des Moines
41/100LFR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 72 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
All 49 criminal defense lawyers by emergency score
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #49, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile.
How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Des Moines
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.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 15% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it |
| Bar status | 10% | An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded) |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months |
| Availability | 15% | Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7 |
| Practice focus | 15% | How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name) |
| Proximity | 5% | An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same) |
| Law Firms Ranked reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are |
Emergency criminal defense lawyers in Des Moines: questions
Which criminal defense lawyers in Des Moines are open 24/7?
4 on this list post 24/7 hours: Lombardi & Miler Law Firm PLLC, Clark & Sears Law, PLLC, Hope Law Firm and The Smith Law Firm, PLLC.
Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Des Moines, IA?
Lombardi & Miler Law Firm PLLC is #1, with an LFR Score of 70 out of 100 on emergency weights.
How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Des Moines 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?
25 of the 25 law firms ranked in full list a phone number. Tap Call to dial it.
Update log for Des Moines
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 49 criminal defense lawyers serving Des Moines.