Federal investigations are designed to stay quiet. Unlike a state arrest, where you know immediately that you are in trouble, a federal criminal investigation can run for a year or more before anyone knocks on your door. Agents interview people around you. Subpoenas go to your bank and your employer. By the time you [...]
It usually arrives without warning. A federal agent hands you an envelope at your door, or a document shows up at your business commanding you to appear before a federal grand jury in Chicago or produce records by a specific date. It carries the seal of the U.S. District Court and the name of an [...]
You received a federal target letter. You hired a lawyer, and your lawyer called the prosecutor named in the letter. Now you are waiting, and most people in that position assume the next thing that happens is an arrest. It doesn't have to be. The weeks after you respond to a target letter are often [...]
Marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use in Illinois, and adults 21 and older can buy it from licensed dispensaries across the state. But Illinois law still places strict limits on how and where you can use it, and driving under the influence is the biggest one. Operating a motor vehicle under the [...]
Wire fraud is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and it is one of the most commonly filed charges in the federal system. If federal agents have contacted you, you have received a target letter or a grand jury subpoena, or you have already been indicted for wire fraud in Illinois, understanding [...]
Many people use the words theft and burglary interchangeably, but under Illinois law they are two distinct criminal offenses, each with its own legal elements and its own penalties. If you have been charged with either one, understanding the difference is the starting point for understanding what you are facing.Illinois law treats theft and [...]
Battery Is Not One Charge, and the Difference Can Mean Decades In Illinois, "battery" covers a wide range of conduct, from a shove in a bar to a shooting. That is why the same word can describe a misdemeanor that carries no jail time and a Class X felony that carries decades in [...]
Offenses are separated into two groups within the criminal justice system: felonies and misdemeanors. Under Illinois law, prosecutors weigh the facts of the case and the severity of the crime before deciding whether to file it as a misdemeanor or felony. When people search "felony vs misdemeanor," they are usually trying to answer one [...]
Self-Defense Is a Legal Right in Illinois, But It Is Not a Free Pass You defended yourself. Maybe you defended your family. And now you are the one facing criminal charges, possibly aggravated battery or something even more serious. It feels backward, but it happens constantly. In the moment, police and prosecutors often cannot [...]
