Fast-Track Trial Lawyer in Madrid
If you have been arrested for drink-driving, drug-driving, injuries or theft, or have been summoned before the Duty Court, you are most likely facing a fast-track trial, where sometimes it is decided at the very same hearing whether you accept a plea agreement. Do not sign anything without a lawyer by your side. We answer the phone ourselves, at any hour. 24-hour direct line: 681 256 507.
Fast-track trial lawyer in Madrid, available 24 hours
The fast-track trial is fast by design, and that speed works against you if you arrive unprepared. The plea agreement, when appropriate, reduces the sentence by a third, but signing it without reading the police report means confessing to the facts and taking on a criminal record. We are criminal defense lawyers in Madrid and we take on the defense in fast-track trials and in urgent proceedings before the Duty Investigating Courts and the Criminal Courts of Madrid. We handle your case ourselves, from start to finish.
How we defend a fast-track trial in Madrid
These are the three fronts on which we act when a fast-track trial is opened.
Plea agreement with a one-third reduction
When the police report supports the prosecution, a well-negotiated plea agreement reduces the sentence by a third and keeps the penalty at the minimum. We only recommend it when it is better than going to trial.
A large part of fast-track trials arise from a positive breathalyzer test, drug-driving, a punishable speeding offense or reckless driving. We defend from the police checkpoint onward, reviewing the chain of custody of the breathalyzer and the analysis.
Defense when the police report is weak
When the police report is questionable (poorly conducted evidence, rights not informed, challengeable expert evidence), we go to trial with evidence for the defense and seek an acquittal.
What we do if you are arrested and facing a fast-track trial
In a fast-track trial, what you do in the first few hours shapes the entire case. This is what we do with you from the moment you call:
We answer your call.
We identify the police station, the reason for the arrest and the procedural situation, and we activate the defense at that very moment.
We give you the first instructions.
You have the right to remain silent and not to sign anything until you have spoken with your lawyer. We explain this to you before any proceedings.
We go to the police station in person.
A partner travels to the police station or the duty court, in Madrid city or in the Henares Corridor.
We speak with you alone.
In the private interview, before you give your statement, we read the police report and the charges with you, and decide whether a plea agreement or going to trial is best.
We assist you at the hearing.
We assist you at the hearing before the Duty Court, with the proposed evidence and the position on the sentence already prepared.
If you are arrested for an offense that will go to a fast-track trial, we activate assistance for the detained person immediately, handled by us 24 hours a day. Madrid city, the Henares Corridor and all of Spain.
Which offences go to a fast-track trial and why the classification matters
The fast-track trial is a procedure under the Criminal Procedure Act (LECrim) reserved for flagrant offences, with straightforward investigation and a prison sentence not exceeding five years. These include, among others:
- Assault, coercion and threats.
- Theft and robbery. Including theft and unauthorised use of vehicles.
- Offences against road safety. Drink-driving, drug-driving, speeding.
- Damage and offences against public health.
- Flagrant offences against intellectual and industrial property.
Whether a case is dealt with through this route, and how it is classified from the very first moment, determines the possible sentence and the scope for defence.
Agreed guilty plea in the fast-track trial: one-third reduction in sentence
An agreed guilty plea allows, at the Duty Court itself, a one-third reduction of the sentence requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It does not mean saying «yes» to whatever the Prosecution offers: it is a negotiation with requirements:
- No private prosecution. This only applies if there is none.
- Subject to a sentence limit. Facts classified as an offence carrying a prison sentence of up to three years, a fine, or another type of penalty of up to ten years.
- That it opens the door to suspension. The custodial sentence, reduced by one third, must not exceed two years.
We calculate the real outcome beforehand, negotiate the classification, and only agree to a guilty plea when it is objectively the best option.
Lawyer to defend the fast-track trial when the police report is weak
There are cases where an agreed guilty plea is the worst option, and we identify them early. When the prosecution evidence is weak, the way forward is not to accept the facts, but to challenge them. Signs that it’s worth fighting:
- A breathalyser without proper guarantees. Without a double measurement or metrological verification.
- A broken chain of custody.
- A procedure carried out without legal assistance.
- A doubtful identification.
In these cases we reject the agreed guilty plea, file a defence brief with proposed evidence, and proceed to an oral trial through the abbreviated procedure before the Criminal Court, where the one-third reduction stops being the only goal and acquittal comes into play.
24-hour assistance for detainees in a fast-track trial
Tel. 681 256 507 · [email protected]
The police report and its consequences: a criminal record at stake
The defense begins with the police report. Before setting foot in court, we review:
- How the arrest was carried out and whether the detainee’s rights and access to legal counsel were respected.
- The chain of custody of the breathalyser, the drug test or any items seized.
- The provisional charge brought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the sentence actually being sought.
- Any applicable mitigating factors, such as reparation of the harm caused, and the possibility of suspending or substituting the sentence depending on your personal and family ties and circumstances.
This matters because a fast-track trial, even for an apparently minor offence, leaves a criminal record that can affect your job, a public examination process, or, if you are a foreign national, your residency status. That is why no decision is made without first having read the case file.
Madrid's on-duty courts where fast-track trials are held
Fast-track trials are handled by the Examining Courts sitting in on-duty capacity, which in the city of Madrid are concentrated at Plaza de Castilla and operate every day of the year, including weekends. The trial itself is heard by the Criminal Courts of Madrid, and any appeal goes to the Provincial Court of Madrid. We also handle cases in the judicial districts of the Henares Corridor (Alcalá de Henares, Arganda del Rey, Coslada). Our office at Goya 20 is just steps away from the main judicial bodies in the city centre.
A privately retained criminal defense lawyer versus a court-appointed one
In a fast-track trial everything moves very fast, and a plea agreement can be put forward during the same on-duty hearing. A court-appointed lawyer covers the proceedings, but rarely has had the chance to calmly study the police report before the hearing. Choosing your own lawyer through private appointment means that the same firm that reads your case file is the one that answers your call, decides on strategy with you, and appears at the hearing. We handle your case ourselves, from start to finish.
How we handle a fast-track trial from the very first call
From the first call after an arrest in flagrante delicto through to the judgment, or the appeal before the Provincial Court, we work every fast-track trial with the same method.
First contact
We attend to you directly, by phone or in person, even outside office hours. We identify your procedural situation and set up your defense before your first statement.
Case analysis
We review the police report, the Prosecutor’s provisional charge, the chain of custody of the breathalyser or drug test, your criminal record, and your personal circumstances.
Strategy and preparation
We design the technical approach: a strategic plea agreement with a one-third sentence reduction, converting the proceedings to a different type, or defending you at trial. Every decision is made together with you.
Defense at the hearing
We defend you at the appearance before the on-duty court or at the trial before the Criminal Court, and we appeal when appropriate.
Frequently asked questions about fast-track trials in Madrid
Which offences are tried through the fast-track procedure?
The fast-track trial (juicio rápido) is reserved for flagrant offences that are straightforward to investigate and carry a custodial sentence not exceeding five years: drink-driving and road safety offences, injuries, theft, robbery, damage or offences against public health, among others. Whether a case goes through this route, and how it is classified, determines the possible sentence.
Must I accept a plea agreement in order to get a one-third sentence reduction?
Not always. Accepting a plea deal (conformidad) reduces the sentence by a third, but it is an admission of the facts and leaves a criminal record. It’s only advisable after reading the police report and assessing whether the prosecution’s evidence holds up. Sometimes the best option is to go to trial.
Does a fast-track trial leave a criminal record?
Yes, if there is a conviction, even for a minor fine or community service. Criminal records can be cleared after a certain time, but in the meantime they affect employment, public exams and, if you are a foreign national, your residency status. That’s why it’s important to mount a strong defence from the outset.
Where are fast-track trials held in Madrid?
In the city of Madrid, at the Examining Courts (Juzgados de Instrucción) on duty at Plaza de Castilla, which operate every day of the year. The trial itself falls to the Criminal Courts (Juzgados de lo Penal), and any appeal goes to the Provincial Court of Madrid.
Can I switch from a court-appointed lawyer to a private one before the trial?
You can appoint a private lawyer at any time, even if you started with a court-appointed one, including on the very day of your appearance. What matters is that whoever defends you has been able to read the police report before deciding on strategy.
Our office at Goya 20, Madrid
Estudio Jurídico Cervantes & Gª-Escribano
Book an initial assessment or call us directly. We meet clients at Goya 20, by phone and by videoconference, with the confidentiality inherent to professional practice.
- Calle Goya 20, 1st Floor Left · 28001 Madrid
- 681 256 507 · 24 hours, every day
- [email protected]
- Monday to Friday · 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (assistance to detainees 24/7)
Call a fast-track trial lawyer in Madrid
A fast-track trial is decided in the first moves: how the police report is read, whether a plea deal is advisable and what evidence is put forward. The sooner you call us, the more room we have to manoeuvre. We assist you directly, in Madrid and throughout Spain. Call us on 681 256 507.
