73/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 590 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Knoxville, TN (2026)
Top 50 of 93 criminal defense lawyers, in emergency orderUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank
24 of the 50 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 Knoxville: T. Scott Jones, Esq, 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 Knoxville 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 | T. Scott Jones, Esq | 73 | 5.0★ (590) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 2 | Barnes & Fersten, PLLC | 73 | 5.0★ (405) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 3 | Law Office of Joseph A. Fanduzz | 71 | 4.9★ (246) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 4 | Ooten Law Firm Criminal Defense Lawyers - Knoxville | 71 | 4.8★ (247) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 5 | Burks & Ogle | 70 | 4.9★ (129) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 6 | Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney | 70 | 4.9★ (124) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 7 | The Watson Law Firm | 69 | 4.9★ (84) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 8 | The Woodard Law Firm, PLLC | 69 | 5.0★ (68) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 9 | The Baker Law Firm | 69 | 4.7★ (91) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
| 10 | The Bell Law Firm, PLLC | 69 | 4.9★ (63) | Knoxville | Open 24 hrs (Google) |
Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Knoxville 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 (865) 509-9693
Open 24/7 · 5.0 from 590 Google reviews
- #2Call (865) 805-5703
Open 24/7 · 5.0 from 405 Google reviews
- #3Call (865) 896-9971
#3Law Office of Joseph A. Fanduzz
Open 24/7 · 4.9 from 246 Google reviews
- #4Call (865) 259-0999
#4Ooten Law Firm Criminal Defense Lawyers - Knoxville
Open 24/7 · 4.8 from 247 Google reviews
- #5Call (865) 522-4964
Open 24/7 · 4.9 from 129 Google reviews
- #6Call (865) 281-1000
#6Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney
Open 24/7 · 4.9 from 124 Google reviews
- #7Call (865) 259-0948
Open 24/7 · 4.9 from 84 Google reviews
- #8Call (865) 293-4960
Open 24/7 · 5.0 from 68 Google reviews
The 50 emergency criminal defense lawyers in Knoxville, ranked
24/7 first, then same-day service, then the rest. Each group is in LFR Score order on emergency weights. The full ranking of all 93 is on the criminal defense lawyers page.
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
Scores below: based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Based in Knoxville
73/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 405 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
71/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 246 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
71/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 247 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
#5 Burks & Ogle
Based in Knoxville
70/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 129 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
70/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 124 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 84 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 68 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 91 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 63 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 54 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
68/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.4★ from 70 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
68/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 30 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Clinton, 15 mi away
67/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 120 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Sevierville, 21 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 216 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 1,655 Google reviews.
#17 Garza Law Firm
Based in Knoxville
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 1,190 Google reviews.
Based in Knoxville
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.3★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
61/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 144 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Trial attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
60/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 134 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
#21 OEB Law
Based in Knoxville
60/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.5★ from 114 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
Based in Maryville, 14 mi away
59/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 203 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 35 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Trial attorney”.
Based in Sevierville, 21 mi away
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 211 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
Based in Knoxville
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 130 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Top 50 of 93 criminal defense lawyers by emergency score
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | The Dance Firm | 50 | 5.0★ (55) | In Knoxville |
| 27 | Stephens & DiRado, LLP | 50 | 4.9★ (52) | In Knoxville |
| 28 | Knox Defense | 50 | 4.8★ (52) | In Knoxville |
| 29 | McClanahan & Winston, P.C. | 49 | 4.8★ (45) | In Knoxville |
| 30 | The Evans Law Firm | 49 | 4.9★ (40) | In Knoxville |
| 31 | Robert R. Kurtz, Attorney at Law | 49 | 4.8★ (38) | In Knoxville |
| 32 | The Law Office of Paul Hensley | 49 | 4.6★ (36) | In Knoxville |
| 33 | Joshua Hedrick, Knox Defense | 49 | 4.9★ (27) | In Knoxville |
| 34 | Eldridge & Cravens, PC | 49 | 5.0★ (24) | In Knoxville |
| 35 | M. Jeffrey Whitt, Knox Defense | 48 | 4.8★ (24) | In Knoxville |
| 36 | The Bosch Law Firm, P.C. | 48 | 4.8★ (19) | In Knoxville |
| 37 | Robert L. Jolley, Jr. Attorney-at-Law | 48 | 4.3★ (23) | In Knoxville |
| 38 | William J. Taylor | 48 | 4.1★ (28) | In Knoxville |
| 39 | Law Office of Forrest Wallace | 48 | 4.3★ (22) | In Knoxville |
| 40 | Glen B. Rutherford Attorney At Law | 47 | 4.9★ (15) | In Knoxville |
| 41 | DeVore Law PLLC | 47 | 5.0★ (8) | In Knoxville |
| 42 | Aaron M. Kimsey , Attorney At Law | 46 | 4.8★ (97) | 21 mi |
| 43 | Tasha C. Blakney | 46 | 5.0★ (6) | In Knoxville |
| 44 | Stone Law Firm | 46 | 4.4★ (7) | In Knoxville |
| 45 | The Law Office of Randall E. Reagan | 46 | 5.0★ (6) | In Knoxville |
| 46 | The Law Office of Jamie Poston Hughes | 46 | 4.4★ (7) | In Knoxville |
| 47 | Shults Law Office | 46 | 4.8★ (86) | 21 mi |
| 48 | Jonathan D. Cooper, Knox Defense | 46 | 5.0★ (5) | In Knoxville |
| 49 | Michael W. Ritter, Attorney at Law | 46 | 4.6★ (66) | 19 mi |
| 50 | Robert W. White | 46 | 4.4★ (39) | 14 mi |
How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Knoxville
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 Knoxville: questions
Which criminal defense lawyers in Knoxville are open 24/7?
24 on this list post 24/7 hours, including T. Scott Jones, Esq, Barnes & Fersten, PLLC, Law Office of Joseph A. Fanduzz, Ooten Law Firm Criminal Defense Lawyers - Knoxville and Burks & Ogle.
Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Knoxville, TN?
T. Scott Jones, Esq is #1, with an LFR Score of 73 out of 100 on emergency weights.
How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Knoxville 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 Knoxville
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 93 criminal defense lawyers serving Knoxville.