Having a criminal record is a major obstacle to those trying to find a job. Most individuals don't know that some of these job seekers can remove these criminal arrests and dispositions through a process known as expungement or sealing. In Illinois, individuals can qualify to have all arrest that resulted in dismissals, misdemeanors that [...]
Federal sentencing guidelines are very different from the sentencing structure of Illinois courts. If you are being questioned by the federal authorities, under investigation, or fighting federal criminal charges, it is vital that you contact an experienced attorney who has the knowledge and experience of handling federal cases but is also a skilled negotiator when [...]
The First District of the Appellate Court here in Illinois reversed the ruling of a circuit court related to the illegal search of a bystander when the police arrived at the scene of an unrelated incident. The officer was responding to a unrelated incident and observed the Defendant, Henry Sims, outside of a building not [...]
chicago shoplifting lawyer Cook County and the Chicago area are above national averages in all criminal statistics and especially theft crimes. With the population size and diversity of communities, the variety of crime and frequency of offenses is high. Theft Crimes are Some of the Most Perpetrated Crimes in Cook County. Theft crimes [...]
Police Can Now Pull You Over With Only an Anonymous Tip Illegal Arrest? The United States Supreme Court has issued a ruling that allows police officers to stop, search and detain a person driving a vehicle simply based on information received through an anonymous tip 911 call. In a close 5-4 decision, the court ruled [...]
illegal search and seizure Recently, I read a case where the court granted a motion to suppress evidence against a Defendant who was charged with the drug arrest of unlawful possession of methamphetamine under (720 ILCS 646/60). The Defendant's friend gave the Defendant permission to drive her car on a long trip because her driver's license [...]
Investigative Alerts I am handling a case right now where my client is being charged with attempted murder (720 ilcs 5/8-4), aggravated kidnapping (720 ilcs 5/10-2), armed robbery (720 ilcs 5/18-2) and aggravated battery (720 ilcs 12-4). These are clearly very serious charges my client is facing. He was never seen at the [...]
Law enforcement officials generally have a easy time enforcing traditional narcotics laws, but these same officers are playing a game of cat and mouse when it comes to new, constant evolving synthetic drugs. According to a report, federal law enforcement officials at the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are having a difficult time applying criminal charges to offenders who are producing drugs so [...]
If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony offense you may be placed on probation. You may not be going to jail or prison but you are still on the court’s radar. In Illinois, for misdemeanor offenses you can be sentenced up to 24 months of probation and for a felony offense four (4) years. While on probation, a probationer must [...]