Criminal defence in Jerez, round the clock
We take arrest calls late at night, at weekends and during the fair. We go to wherever the person is being held and are with them from the first interview, in Jerez or anywhere else in Spain.
Criminal law · Jerez de la Frontera
Criminal lawyers in Jerez de la Frontera.
Arrests over the race weekend or the Horse Fair, drink-driving, assault and airport stops. Call or WhatsApp us at any hour; we deal with you in English.
Talk to a lawyer today
If you are arrested in Jerez, the police will want a statement within hours, and whatever you say goes into their report. Before that happens, call us on +34 711 29 14 66, at any time of day or night.
Written and reviewed by Jimena Sastre, criminal lawyer.
Updated on 4 October 2026.
In town for the MotoGP or the Horse Fair
The Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez each spring and the Horse Fair in May bring in thousands of visitors. Arrests over those weeks are mostly for fights, theft and drink-driving, and many cases are settled within days.
Flying into Jerez airport
Jerez has flights from the United Kingdom, which is outside the European Union, so cash of 10,000 euros or more has to be declared when you land. If anything is found in your luggage, say nothing about it until you have spoken to us.
Spanish courts, explained in English
Police custody, the duty judge, the investigation and the trial: at each stage we tell you what is happening and what comes next. Serious cases are tried in Jerez itself, by the eighth section of the Cádiz Provincial Court.
If you are being held now
Your rights in custody.
Under Spanish law you may refuse to answer questions, pick your own lawyer and have a free interpreter. Within 72 hours at the latest, you are either set free or taken to a judge.
- Give your name and details, but say nothing about what happened before you have seen your lawyer.
- Ask for a relative and your consulate to be told.
- Have someone call us on +34 711 29 14 66 and tell us where you are.
- If an officer asks you to take a breath or drug test, take it: refusing is a criminal offence in Spain.
Where to start
What has gone wrong?
A message or a call is enough for us to tell you what to do today.
I was arrested after a fight
Assault
If the injury needed nothing beyond first aid, it counts as a minor offence dealt with by a fine, and nothing happens unless the victim files a complaint. If medical treatment was needed, a prison sentence is possible.
I was stopped for drink-driving after the race
Drink-driving
A breath reading over 0.60 mg per litre is a criminal offence on its own in Spain, however well you were driving. On top of prison, a fine or community service, you lose the right to drive here for more than a year and up to four.
I am accused of theft
Theft
Up to 400 euros it is a minor offence with a fine. Since April 2026, someone with three previous convictions for similar offences, at least one of them minor, can face six to eighteen months in prison even for a small amount.
My partner or ex has made a complaint against me
Domestic violence
The case goes to the court section for violence against women, and a protection order is often made at the first court appearance. Going near her while it lasts is a further offence, even if she is the one who gets in touch.
I was stopped at Jerez airport
Airport arrests
Undeclared cash and anything found in your bags are the usual reasons. We check who packed the luggage, who had it and how the search was done.
My company is under investigation
Fraud and business crime
We defend the company and its directors, read the file before anyone gives a statement and go through the accounts and emails with you.
I was robbed or attacked
Victims
We help you report it, follow the case for you after you have gone home and claim compensation within the criminal proceedings.
Worth knowing
Sentences that come up most in Jerez.
Refusing a breath test
If you refuse an officer’s alcohol or drug test, the punishment is prison, from six months to a year, and a driving ban of more than one year and up to four. That is harsher than failing the test, because a fine cannot replace the prison term.
Driving without a valid licence
Driving with no licence at all, with all your points lost or after a court has taken your licence away carries a fine calculated over twelve to twenty-four months, 31 to 90 days of community service or three to six months in prison.
Domestic assault without injury
Hitting a woman who is or was your partner is a crime even if it leaves no mark, punished with community service or six months to a year in prison, plus loss of any firearms licence for a year and a day up to three years. The judgment must also bar you from going near the victim.
Boats, drugs and fuel
Moving drugs by boat raises the sentence by one or two degrees and adds a fine that can reach triple the value of the drugs. Since 10 April 2026, storing, carrying or supplying fuel without authorisation, known in Spain as petaqueo, carries three to five years in prison.
How we work
What we do, in order.
- 1
First call
Knowing which station is holding them and what they are accused of is enough for us to start. We tell you the cost of attending on that same call.
- 2
Private consultation
Before any statement we see them alone and agree together what to answer and what not to.
- 3
Duty judge
We ask for the case to continue with them at liberty, or with the lightest conditions possible.
- 4
Investigation
We read everything in the file, ask for the evidence that helps you and challenge what was done wrongly.
- 5
Judgment
When a plea deal is on the table, we set out the sentence you avoid and the one you accept. You decide, and if it is not in your interest, we fight the case at trial.
FAQ
What clients in Jerez want to know.
Is there a criminal lawyer in Jerez I can call at night?
Yes. Arrest calls on +34 711 29 14 66 are answered at any hour, including bank holidays and fair week. Anything else is dealt with during working hours.
I was arrested over the MotoGP weekend. Can I fly home?
That is for the duty judge. Often you can go home once you have given an address for court papers; sometimes the judge keeps your passport. We ask for you to be allowed to leave from the very first hearing.
Is refusing a breath test worse than failing it?
Usually, yes. Refusal is an offence in its own right, punished by prison and a driving ban, with no fine as an alternative. What you can do is ask for a blood test to check the breathalyser reading.
Can I be tried without coming back to Spain?
Sometimes. Where the prosecution seeks two years in prison or less and you were summoned in due form, the court can hold the trial in your absence, with your lawyer defending you. Anything more serious requires you to be there.
Which court tries serious cases from Jerez?
Anything punishable by over five years in prison is tried by the eighth section of the Cádiz Provincial Court, which sits in Jerez. Lesser offences go before a criminal judge in the town.
Do you also cover El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar and Rota?
Yes, any court in the province of Cádiz and anywhere else in Spain.
How much does a criminal lawyer in Jerez cost?
The cost of attending the police station is agreed on the phone before we leave. If we take on the whole case, you receive a written quote, stage by stage.
Client reviews
What our clients say.
Jimena Sastre ha sido una excelente abogada de inmigración que me ha guiado durante todo el proceso de solicitud de la nacionalidad española. Ha sido profesional, amable, siempre dispuesta a responder mis preguntas y me ha orientado correctamente. Su enfoque hizo que mi solicitud fuera mucho más sencilla y sin estrés, y la recomiendo a otros expatriados/inmigrantes que necesiten asesoramiento y asistencia legal para sus solicitudes de residencia o nacionalidad.
El equipo de esta firma ,son sencillamente los mejores, muy profesionales, responsables, y de completa confianza. 200% recomendables!!
Todos hemos visto alguna vez pelis de abogados, que hacen milagros en los juzgados, y hemos pensado, que en la vida real estas cosas no pasan… Pero los de SyC lo consiguen. Solo puedo decirles Gracias por estar a mi lado siempre! En hora buena por vuestro trabajo!